Rivermen Advance to President's Cup Semifinals against Knoxville
SPHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Advance to President's Cup Semifinals against Knoxville

Published on April 13, 2026 under SPHL (SPHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


PEORIA, IL - The Peoria Rivermen have advanced to the President's Cup Semifinals for the fifth consecutive season as they will take on the Knoxville Ice Bears in a best-of-five series starting this Friday and Saturday at Carver Arena. The Rivermen will be practicing at Carver Arena on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10:30 am to 11:30 am, with media availability directly afterward with players and coaches.

THE DETAILS

The Rivermen will host Games One and Two of this best-of-five series on Friday and Saturday (April 17 and 18) at 7:15 p.m. Central Time at Carver Arena. Game Three will be in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Thursday, April 23, at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum, with face-off at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. If necessary, Game Four will also take place at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum on Friday, April 24 (7:30 p.m. Eastern Time), with Game Five back in Peoria at Carver Arena on Sunday, April 26 at 3:15 p.m. Central Time.

WHY IT MATTERS

This will be the third all-time playoff meeting between the Rivermen and the Ice Bears, and the first since 2018. The Rivermen last faced Knoxville in the 2018 semifinals, where the Rivermen swept the Ice Bears two games to none in a best-of three series to advance to the President's Cup Finals. The Rivermen are 4-0 all-time in postseason meetings with Knoxville.

WEEK IN REVIEW

Peoria is back in the semifinals for the fifth consecutive season after dispatching the Macon Mayhem in two games last weekend. Peoria won Game One of the best-of-three series 2-0 in Macon, Georgia, before defeating the Mayhem again last Saturday at Carver Arena by a score of 4-1.

WHO'S HOT

Rivermen goaltender Nick Latinovich became just the third goaltender in Peoria's SPHL era to record a postseason shutout on Thursday night as he made 26 saves to help the Rivermen to a 2-0 victory. Latinovich then followed it up with a 20-save performance on Saturday night to help the Rivermen sweep the Mayhem in the first round. Latinovich has allowed just a single goal in the postseason and boasts a .979 save percentage in these playoffs. Latinovich is 10-3-0 in his postseason career.

SCOUTING THE ICE BEARS

After limping into the playoffs with a 4-5-1 record in their last ten games, the seventh-seeded Ice Bears shocked the SPHL with a double overtime win over the second-seeded Huntsville Havoc in Game One of their opening round series before following it up with a gutsy 4-2 road win in Huntsville to complete the sweep. Last year's President's Cup finalists are led up front by Jimmy Sober and Dawson McKinney, who have combined for 10 points (five goals, five assists) between the two of them over two games in the postseason.

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