ECHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Beat Down in Dayton 5-2

November 27, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Fairborn, Ohio - The Peoria Rivermen led 2-1 nearly halfway through the game on Saturday in Dayton, but the scoring stopped there as it has in seven of the team's last eight games, as the Bombers scored four unanswered goals for a 5-2 win before 3,019 at the Nutter Center.

The Rivermen, who have now lost four in a row twice in the last nine games, have been held to two goals or less in seven of their last eight games with two shutouts against, two one-goal games and three two-goal games.

Dayton gave itself a two-goal lead with 8:38 left in the game. Aaron Foster and Scott Cameron forced a turnover in the Peoria zone along on the endboards. Cameron slid the puck out to the top of the goal crease for Janne Jokila, who slipped his second tally of the game and seventh of the season between the pads of Rivermen rookie netminder Chris Beckford-Tseu.

The Bombers finished the scoring with 3:54 left in regulation. Tyler Kolarik pushed the puck into the Peoria end down the middle of the ice, used a defenseman as a screen and fired his eighth tally of the season low and inside the left post.

Peoria (3-9-2, 8 points) dropped to 1-5-1 on the road and 1-1-1 against the Bombers this season. Dayton (7-10-0, 14 points) snapped a three-game losing streak in the win and improved to 4-3-0 on home ice.

Beckford-Tseu (1-6-1) had 16 saves on 21 Dayton shots, while Dayton's Andrew Penner (5-7-0) turned away 25 of 27 chances in the victory.

The Rivermen opening the scoring in a contest for just the second time this season with a power play goal at 10:58 of the first period. Brian McCullough rifled a slap shot from the top of the right face-off circle inside the left goal post past a screened Penner. It was McCullough's fifth tally of the year.

Dayton tied the game 1-1 just after Peoria's second power play expired. Jokila, who had been serving a two-minute minor for slashing, darted out of the box, took a pass from Justin Kinnunen at center ice, maneuvered into the Peoria zone on right wing, and used defenseman Chris Bogas as a screen to whistle a wrist shot into the upper right corner. It was Jokila's sixth goal of the season and first of two on the night.

Peoria took its second lead of the game at 7:48 of the middle stanza. Right after coming off the bench, McCullough corralled a loose puck along the right-wing boards and fed a breaking James Sanford at the right side of the slot. Sanford, who jumped into the shooting lane from the left point, roofed a backhand shot into the upper corner for his second professional goal in as many games.

The Bombers tied the game up for the second time just 1:13 later with a shorthanded goal. Shawn Limpright moseyed up the left wing and fed a breaking Michael Schutte. Schutte worked into the Peoria end down the left side of the zone on a 2-on-1 break with Matt Herneisen. Schutte elected to keep the puck instead of pass and slipped it inside the right goal post for his first tally of the year.

It was Peoria's second shorthanded goal allowed in as many games and fourth allowed this season. Last year, the Rivermen allowed four over the entire season.

Dayton grabbed its first lead of the night with just eight seconds left in the second. Clay Plume hammered a slap shot from the high slot that Beckford-Tseu stopped but the rebound was collected at the left face-off dot by Ben Knopp, who ripped the puck inside the near left post for his fourth goal of the year.

Peoria returns home on Friday, December 3 to battle the Wheeling Nailers at 7:30 p.m. at Carver Arena. MLS Stars Bryan Namoff and Tim Regan will appear as part of Stanley Steemer Central Illinois Soccer Night. Namoff and Regan will sign autographs from 6:30-9:00 p.m. The first 750 kids 12 and under will receive a regulation Stanley Steemer Soccer Ball. It is also a Sprite/Barq's Root Beer/Pibb Xtra Finally Friday. Fans will receive a "Buy One, Get One Free Upper Bowl Ticket" offer when they present one of those three cans at the Carver Arena Box Office.

Check out the Peoria Rivermen Statistics



ECHL Stories from November 27, 2004


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