AHL Peoria Rivermen

Peoria Suffers Third Shutout Loss of Season

April 1, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Houston, TX - When the final horn sounded to signal the end of the game between the Peoria Rivermen and the Houston Aeros on Saturday evening at the Toyota Center, the Rivermen may have wondered whether or not the whole thing was just an elaborate April Fools' Day prank. Much to their chagrin, however, the Rivermen had, in fact, suffered a 5-0 shutout loss at the hands of the Aeros, the third time this season that the Peoria club has failed to score any goals.

The Rivermen have now suffered three shutout losses in their 73 games played so far this season. Their first shutout defeat of 2005-06 occurred back on Saturday, November 26, 2005, at home in Carver Arena. That night, the Peoria club squeezed off 29 shots at Iowa Stars goaltender Mike Smith, but Smith saved each one, and the Stars left town with a 2-0 whitewash of the Rivermen. Not only was that the first shutout loss of the season for the Rivermen, but it was also the first blanking suffered in franchise history. The Peoria squad then progressed quite a ways through its regular season schedule before being shut out a second time. On Saturday, March 18, the Rivermen went into Syracuse to take on the Syracuse Crunch and came away with their second 2-0 loss of the campaign. The main source of Peoria's frustration on that occasion was Syracuse goalie Martin Prusek, who stoned the Rivermen on 32 shots. Then came Saturday evening's affair at the Toyota Center in Houston. Despite registering a healthy total of 36 shots on goal, the Rivermen failed to get any of their shots past Aeros netminder Seamus Kotyk. Houston, on the other hand, scored five times to claim a resounding 5-0 shutout triumph.

Including Saturday's goalless result, the Rivermen now own an overall mark of 42-24-3-4 and a road record of 19-13-3-2. The Aeros, meanwhile, improve to 46-22-3-3 on the year and to 27-5-2-2 at home after their 5-0 win on Saturday.

The Aeros got on the scoreboard first in this contest. As the Aeros entered the Rivermen zone on a rush, Houston left wing Roman Voloshenko let loose a shot from the high slot. Although Peoria goalie Chris Beckford-Tseu stopped the blast, he left a rebound at the top of the crease, and right wing Kirby Law came streaking in diagonally from the right to the left and poked the puck into the net. Law's 39th goal of the season put Houston up 1-0 at the 10:30 mark of the first period.

Just a few minutes after their first scoring play, the Aeros took a 2-0 lead thanks to defenseman Scott Ferguson. Skating onto a drop-pass that was left in the high slot of the Peoria end, Ferguson took a quick shot, and the puck zipped through a screen of players in front and past Beckford-Tseu's blocker at 12:57 of the first to give Ferguson five goals on the year.

The Houston side extended its lead in the middle frame. Taking a pass off of the right-wing boards in the Rivermen zone from center Bryan Lundbohm, Aeros right winger Joel Ward fired off a one-timer from the top of the right circle that eluded Beckford-Tseu 6:06 into the second period for a 3-0 Houston advantage on Ward's fifth strike of 2005-06. After the score, the Rivermen replaced Beckford-Tseu in goal with Scott Reid, but only for a short time.

At the 8:50 mark of the second session, the Aeros' lead ballooned to 4-0. Taking in stride at center ice a pass from centerman Patrick O'Sullivan, Law skated in on Beckford-Tseu, deked, and then snapped the puck through the goalie's five-hole to record his 40th goal of the season.

Houston's fifth goal was a bit lucky. On a shot from the right face-off dot in the Peoria zone by Houston left wing Peter Olvecky, Beckford-Tseu got his blocker and glove on the shot, but the puck then dribbled back across the goalline to the left of the cage. Reaching out to swat at the puck, Aeros right wing Matt Foy got the puck to ricochet into the goal off of the back of Beckford-Tseu's right leg at the 11:25 mark of the second frame. The goal was the 11th of the season for Foy, gave Houston a 5-0 lead, and prompted the Rivermen to reinsert Reid between the pipes in relief of Beckford-Tseu.

The Rivermen will now remain in Houston for another day and finish out their 2005-06 regular season series with the Aeros on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. (CDT).

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American Hockey League Stories from April 1, 2006


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