AHL Peoria Rivermen

Rampage Win Rough One in Peoria

December 27, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Peoria, Ill. (December 27, 2008) - Josh Tordjman turned aside 31 shots by the Peoria Rivermen to keep the Rivermen off the board for the final 40 minutes of the game as his San Antonio Rampage won 3-1 at Carver Arena on Saturday night.

The loss snapped the Rivermen's three-game winning streak and was just their fourth regulation loss on home ice this season. Peoria and San Antonio have now split their first two games of the season with their next meeting coming on January 2.

The teams accounted for three fights and a combined 56 penalty minutes. Steve Regier and Simon Ferguson dropped the gloves just six seconds into the second period while Eric Neilson and Francis Lessard followed at 8:56. Trent Whitfield and Garth Murray exchanged punches following the conclusion of the game. It was the first fights of the year for both Regier and Whitfield.

While both teams went scoreless on the power play, penalties played a big role in the game's outcome. With Josh Soares and Joel Perrault both in the box, the Rampage scored twice during the four-on-four. Jeff Hoggan started the scoring at 7:12 of the first period. David Schlemko's dump in caromed off the end boards where Hoggan quickly grabbed it and wrapped it around Chris Holt. It was his 10th of the season.

Only 61 seconds later, San Antonio struck again with Murray's sixth of the year. Murray carried the puck to the top of the right circle and then dropped it off for Schlemko. As Murray cut across the slot, Schlemko met him with a pass and he was able to wrist it home into the open net.

Peoria cut the Rampage lead in half in the closing minute of the first frame. Jonathan Filewich created a turnover and then sent an airborne pass towards Chris Conner at the bottom of the right circle. Conner gloved it down and slapped it through Tordjman's legs for his team leading 12th of the season.

The score remained 2-1 until 19:20 of the third when Perrault added an empty netter to increase the final margin.

Holt stopped 18 of 21 and the Rivermen were 0-for-5 on the power play.

The Rivermen's six game homestand continues on Sunday when the Rivermen take on the Houston Aeros for another Comcast/Journal Star/Fun on the Run/Coke Family day as tickets for kids 12 and under can be purchased for just $1. Hot dogs, cokes and chips will also be available for $1 each from 6-7:00 p.m. Tickets are available at the Peoria Civic Center Box Office, by calling (309) 676-1040 or online at www.rivermen.net.

Check out the Peoria Rivermen Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from December 27, 2008


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