Peoria Prevails By Four Goals
Published on December 4, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release
Peoria, IL (December 4, 2005) - In their second game against the Milwaukee Admirals in five days, the Rivermen avenged a 4-2 loss in Milwaukee last Wednesday by defeating the Admirals 5-1 on Sunday evening in Peoria. Several members of the Peoria club contributed to the win. Right wing Jon DiSalvatore had a goal and an assist, a plus-two rating, and three shots. Left wing Peter Sejna added to his team-leading point total with two assists to go along with a plus-one rating and five shots on net. Rivermen goalie Reinhard Divis came close to shutting out Milwaukee, turning aside 34 of the Admirals' 35 shots.
Alongside these wonderful performances, the play of Peoria center Trent Whitfield stood out. With two goals in 11 games played coming into this contest, Whitfield got that many goals in this outing alone. He also registered a plus-two rating and two shots on goal. For his stellar play on this evening, Whitfield was selected as the "first star of the game."
Whitfield helped the Rivermen regain the lead in this game early on in the second period. On a shot from the left point by Peoria winger Mike Glumac, Whitfield deftly deflected the puck by Milwaukee puckstopper Brian Finley from the slot area at the 4:25 mark of the second period for a 2-1 Peoria advantage.
Later in the middle frame, Whitfield dented the twine again, this time as the Rivermen were shorthanded. As the Admirals attempted to enter the Peoria zone, Whitfield stole the puck at the center red line and nudged it out ahead of himself. Catching up to the puck, Whitfield skated in alone on Finley and beat the Milwaukee goalie with a nice forehand-to-backhand stickhandling move. The unassisted shorthanded goal put Peoria up 3-1 at 17:11 of the second.
The Sunday matinee victory for the Rivermen improved the club's overall record to 15-6-0-1. At home in Carver Arena, the Rivermen are now 9-4-0-1. The Admirals, meanwhile, drop to 13-6-1-1 on the season and to 6-5-1-1 on the road.
Right winger Jon DiSalvatore and the Rivermen took advantage of a power play to jump out on top in this game. With Milwaukee a man down, DiSalvatore was able to sneak unnoticed to the left post of the Admirals goal, where he banged the puck behind goalie Brian Finley at 13:10 of the opening period. The puck came to him through a crowd in front of the goal after his linemate Peter Sejna took a wrist shot from the right point.
The Admirals' retort to that Peoria goal was a power-play tally of their own. Working the puck around the perimeter of the Rivermen zone, the Admirals got it to blueliner Greg Zanon at the right point, and he walked it to the top of the right circle before releasing a shot that stayed on the ice and squirted under Peoria goaltender Reinhard Divis. The lamp-lighter drew the two teams even at 1-1 15 seconds before the first intermission.
The Rivermen salted away this win in the third period. At the 16:34 mark, center Troy Riddle buried a one-timer past Finley's glove as Riddle streaked down the left side of the slot and accepted a nice feed from DiSalvatore at the right-wing boards. That tally gave Peoria a three-goal lead at 4-1.
In the waning minutes of the game, the Admirals tried to capitalize on a holding penalty to Rivermen defenseman Trevor Byrne by pulling Finley in favor of a sixth attacker. The move backfired, however, as Peoria center Jay McClement got a shorthanded empty-net goal with an easy shot from the top of the left circle at 18:13.
After playing four games in the course of the last five nights, the Rivermen are scheduled to turn that trick again in the upcoming week. This time, however, the four-game set will begin at Carver Arena and then alternate home and road games from that point on.
American Hockey League Stories from December 4, 2005
- Peoria Prevails By Four Goals - Peoria Rivermen
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- Westrum reclaims AHL points lead - Houston Aeros
- Barons Fall at Houston, 5-2 - Cleveland Barons
- Bears defeat Penguins in shootout 3-2 - Hershey Bears
- Sound Tigers Beaten By Hartford 5-3 - Bridgeport Islanders
- P-Bruins Shutout Lowell 3-0 - Providence Bruins
- Bruins Get Payback on Monsters, 3-0 - Albany Devils
- Moose Sign Keane to PTO; Release Centomo from PTO - Manitoba Moose
- Carolina Recalls Chad LaRose - Albany Devils
- Bears look to knock off high flying Penguins tonight - Hershey Bears
- Canucks recall Balej and McVicar - Manitoba Moose
- Family Day matchup finishes homestand - Houston Aeros
- Falcons Host Rats This Afternoon - Springfield Falcons
- Rivermen win twice in one evening - Peoria Rivermen
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