AHL Peoria Rivermen

Evans First Hat Trick Propels Peoria

February 23, 2011 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Brennan Evans went 48 games without scoring a goal this season but came up with three goals in 21:12 to lead the Peoria Rivermen to a 5-2 victory over the Texas Stars Wednesday night at Carver Arena. It was the first career hat trick for Evans who matched his season-high in single game. Four other Rivermen skaters earned multi-point games while Jake Allen stopped 27 of 29 shots for his 18th win of the year.

With the win the Rivermen (33-21-2-3, 71 pts) jumped over the Stars (32-20-3-3, 70 pts) in the West Division and are now tied with the Houston Aeros (33-22-1-4, 71 pts) for second place.

Evans opened the scoring at 6:39 of the first period. Evans wound up for a slapshot from the left point and his shot went over the glove of Richard Bachman and into the right corner of the net. Nathan Oystrick and Dave Spina recorded the helpers on the goal.

The Stars responded on the power play with 5 minutes remaining in the first. The puck was being batted around in front of Allen and then it squirted to Ondrej Roman at the right of the net and he slapped home his seventh of the year. Aaron Gagnon and Brandon Segal picked up the assists.

Just 2:30 later the Rivermen responded on their only power play of the game. Nick Drazenovic sent the puck towards the front of the net from the top of the right circle and it went airborne, but Chris Porter was able to get a stick on it and smack it past Bachman for his ninth of the year. Ian Cole picked up his first of two points on the night.

The Rivermen scored on all three of their shots of the second period to chase Bachman from the goal. Evans wristed a low shot from the point, at 4:52, that hit the ice on its way to the goal and skipped over the glove of Bachman off the right post and in. Adam Cracknell and Oystrick added the assists.

Cole jumped in on the goal scoring at 9:08 of the middle frame backhanding a shot from the slot past Bachman for his third of the year. T.J. Hensick and Spina were credited with the assists.

Evans completed the hat trick at the 15:27 mark of the second period. Cracknell hit Evans in stride immediately after he exited the penalty box and he beat Bachman low stick side on a breakaway.

Maxime Fortunus added his third goal of the year for Texas late in the third period from Mathieu Tousignant and Segal.-for

Evans (3g), Cole (1g,1a), Oystrick (2a), Spina (2a), and Cracknell (2a) all had multi-point games. The Rivermen went a perfect 1-for-1 on the man advantage while the Stars managed to go 1-for-5.

The Rivermen welcome the Rockford IceHogs to Carver Arena on Friday at 7:05 p.m. Peoria will be honoring their 1991 Tuner Cup Championship by wearing throwback jerseys that will be auctioned off after the game. The first 2,500 fans will also receive a commemorative canvas featuring Dave Thomlinson holding the cup. For tickets call the Rivermen office at (309) 676-1040 or visit www.rivermen.net.

Check out the Peoria Rivermen Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from February 23, 2011


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