After Losing 5-4 in Overtime in Friday's Game 1, Peoria Loses 3-2 in Overtime in Saturday's Game 2
April 22, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
Houston, TX - If any members of the Peoria Rivermen had a feeling of déjà vu following Game 2 of the West Division Semifinals between Peoria and Houston on Saturday evening at the Toyota Center, it was for good reason. After losing Game 1 of the series by the count of 5-4 in overtime on Friday night, the Rivermen suffered another overtime loss in Game 2, this time by the count of 3-2.
Although Game 2 lasted further into the first overtime period than did Game 1, and Game 2 did not feature as many goals scored by the two teams, the result of the contest, the only thing that really matters, was the same as that of Game 1: an overtime loss for the Rivermen. Chasing down the puck at the left face-off dot in the Peoria zone, Aeros left wing Peter Olvecky wheeled around and unleashed a blazing shot towards the Rivermen cage. On its' way in, the puck hit Houston right wing Matt Foy, who was jostling with a Peoria defenseman at the top of the crease, and snuck past Rivermen goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu at the 11:52 mark of overtime. Foy's first tally of the postseason set the final score of this game at 3-2 in favor of Houston.
The Rivermen now stand 0-2 after the first two postseason contests in franchise history, both on the road in Houston. The Aeros, on the other hand, have now claimed two home wins to take a 2-0 lead in games into Game 3 of their West Division Semifinals series with the Rivermen.
The Aeros finally broke through for the game's first goal more than halfway into the contest. Collecting the puck in the high slot area of the Rivermen end, Houston centerman Erik Westrum looped around and down to his left to the bottom of the left circle. Pausing to allow a screen of players to pass in front of him from left to right, Westrum then squeezed off a wrist shot that crawled up Beckford-Tseu's stick and right arm before going on into the goal at the 13:09 mark of the second period for Westrum's first goal of the playoffs and a 1-0 Houston lead.
About two minutes later, the Rivermen tied the Aeros at one goal apiece. Stationed in the right corner of the Aeros zone, Peoria left wing Peter Sejna sent the puck out to center Jay McClement along the right-wing boards. After getting it right back from McClement, Sejna wheeled and fired the puck in on net from just below the goalline, and it somehow went in. Sejna used his patented behind-the-goalline scoring play to notch his first goal of these playoffs at the 15:06 mark of the middle frame.
Early on in the third session, at the 2:04 mark, the Aeros went out to another one-goal lead at 2-1. On a long shot into the right corner of the Rivermen end by Aeros defenseman Erik Reitz, the puck hit the end boards and bounded out to the right face-off dot. Having slipped in behind the Peoria defense, Houston center Bryan Lundbohm skated onto the puck and then calmly beat Beckford-Tseu with a wrist shot right over the goalie's blocker and inside the left post. The marker was the second postseason goal for Lundbohm.
With less than six minutes remaining in regulation, the Rivermen drew even with the Aeros for a second time in the tilt, this time at 2-2, once again on a goal by Sejna. On a shot from the right point in the Houston zone by Peoria defenseman Mike Stuart, Aeros netminder Josh Harding blocked the shot but left a rebound at the top of the crease. From his position at the right post, Sejna stretched out and swept the puck around Harding and inside the left post to record his second goal of the game as he fell down.
Next up for the Rivermen are Games 3 and 4 of the West Division Semifinals versus Houston on Monday, April 24, and Wednesday, April 26. Both games will begin at 7:00 p.m. (CDT) at Carver Arena at the Peoria Civic Center.
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