McChesney's Natural Hat Trick Lifts Rivermen to 3-1 Triumph over Quad City
SPHL Peoria Rivermen

McChesney's Natural Hat Trick Lifts Rivermen to 3-1 Triumph over Quad City

Published on January 23, 2026 under SPHL (SPHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


PEORIA, IL - Michael McChesney's natural hat trick commanded Friday night, as his three goals propelled the Peoria Rivermen (25-8-1) to a 3-1 regulation win over the Quad City Storm (15-15-5) at Carver Arena. The victory was the rivals' first meeting decided in regulation in 2026. Nick Latinovich stopped 23 of 24 shots, earning Peoria's ninth straight win of the year.

The Rivermen are 15-0-1 in the last sixteen games, a point streak which is tied for the third-longest streak of games without a loss in SPHL history. Now firmly in first place in the SPHL standings, Peoria will have Saturday off before they host the Evansville Thunderbolts on Sunday, January 23, at 3:15 pm. The meeting will be the first between Peoria and Evansville in the new year.

FIRST PERIOD

Quad City found the first goal early in the contest. Just past four minutes in, Leif Mattson received a pass at the right-wing point that he one-timed into the back of the net with traffic in front. Mattson's 14th goal of the season put the Storm up 1-0 as they were easily the better team in the first half of the first period. But the Rivermen rallied and looked to their leaders to get them back in the game. Brandon Stojcevski was able to win a board battle along the end-boards and took a stride toward the goal line. Stojcevski sent a quick pass right to Michael McChesney, the leading goal-scorer in the SPHL, in the slot. McChesney fired the one-timed pass quickly into the net past Quad City goaltender Zane Steeves to tie the game up 1-1 with less than four minutes to go in the first period.

SECOND PERIOD

The Rivermen dominated the pace of play in the second, outshooting the Storm 12-4 in the middle frame. This, despite two Quad City power plays in the period. Several quality saves by Steeves throughout the period made it seem that the Rivermen would not take a lead into the third, as they had in the previous four meetings with Quad City. But then, with just over two minutes left in the period, Michael McChesney forced a turnover at his own line and stepped up through the center on a two-on-one rush. McChesn ey, on the right-wing side, never thought about passing it off and instead rifled a wrist-shot into the top left corner to beat Steeves on the blocker side. McChesney's second goal of the night put the Rivermen up 2-1, and for the fifth consecutive meeting between the two rivals, Peoria led by a goal, 2-1, entering the third period.

THIRD PERIOD

In the past four consecutive meetings between Peoria and Quad City, the Storm always found a way to come back in the third period and force overtime. That did not happen on Friday night as the Rivermen clogged up the neutral zone and didn't allow the Storm to utilize their rush offense. Peoria also stayed out of the penalty box, denying Quad City a power-play opportunity to tie the game. In the end, McChesney found the empty net for his third goal of the game thanks to a selfless neutral zone pass from Stoj cevski to spring McChesney into the offensive zone. McChesney's league-leading 22nd goal of the season lifted Peoria to a 3-1 victory and the first regulation triumph for Peoria since January 10. Peoria has now won its last four games against the Storm.

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