SPHL Mississippi RiverKings

Griggs Wins Debut; RiverKings Take Third Straight

February 15, 2014 - SPHL (SPHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- John Griggs stopped 24 of 26 shots against in his Mississippi RiverKings (24-14-3) debut and Leo Thomas tallied the game-winning goal and an assist as the RiverKings knocked off the Bloomington Thunder (15-24-2) for the second straight night with a 4-2 win on Saturday in Bloomington.

For the second consecutive game, the RiverKings jumped out on top in the first. After holding the Thunder without a shot through seven minutes, Patrick Schafer worked the puck out from the corner and pushed it between the legs of Breton Lindoff for his sixth goal of the season to put the RiverKings on top 1-0 at the 13:46 mark of the period. Phil Bronner and Mike Hayward assisted on the first goal of the game that sent the RiverKings into the first intermission ahead 1-0.

In the second, Bloomington battled back. After the RiverKings broke up the odd-man-rush, Jay Pietrasiak's quick shot beat John Griggs on the short side to tie the game at one at the 11:24 mark of the period and that's how the teams skated into the second intermission.

The game opened up in the third. With the RiverKings on a five-on-three power play, Mike Grace ripped a slap shot past Lindoff just 56 seconds into third period to put the visitors up 2-1. But the Thunder battled back. Tyler Noseworthy had a puck deflect off of him and just past Griggs to tie the game at two. But with Peter Cintala in the penalty box for an illegal check to the head, Leo Thomas picked up a rebound in front of Lindoff and slid the puck into the empty net to give the RiverKings the 3-2 lead. Devin Mantha sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with three second remaingin as the RiverKings won their third straight game with the 4-2 decision over the Thunder.

John Griggs (6-7-1) stopped 24 of 26 shots against to pick up the win in his RiverKings debut. Breton Lindoff (1-2-0) stopped 26 of 29 shots against in the loss.



SPHL Stories from February 15, 2014


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