AHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Blank Aeros 3-0

Published on January 24, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Peoria, IL (January 24, 2006) - Coming into Tuesday night's contest between the Peoria Rivermen and the Houston Aeros, Rivermen goaltender Patrick Lalime had been playing exceptionally well. In his last six starts prior to Tuesday, in fact, Lalime had allowed just one goal on five occasions and posted a 4-1-0-1 record, a 1.59 goals-against average, and a .938 save percentage. As good as those numbers are, Lalime improved on them Tuesday evening at Carver Arena against Houston, making 33 saves to earn his first career American Hockey League shutout.

The Western Conference-leading Aeros wasted no time in getting after Lalime and the Rivermen on Tuesday evening, as they came out in the first period and registered 11 shots on goal. Lalime was up to the task, however, backstopping the Rivermen to a scoreless tie with the Aeros through one period. In the second period, Houston squeezed off 13 more shots at Lalime, again failing to beat the Peoria goalie and falling behind 2-0 in the game. Lalime then turned aside all nine Aeros shots that he faced in the final frame, and his teammates up front got another goal to give him a 3-0 shutout win.

To this point in their inaugural season as members of the AHL, the Rivermen have fashioned an overall record of 23-16-1-2 and a home mark of 14-6-0-1. The Aeros, meanwhile, now stand 32-11-1-1 on the season and 12-7-0-0 on the road.

After a scoreless first period, the Rivermen broke through for a goal within the first minute of the second frame. Following scoring chances from in close at the Houston net by Peoria forwards Troy Riddle and Lee Stempniak, the puck came to Peoria's Ryan Ramsay in the left circle. Getting off a shot that stayed low on the ice, Ramsay put the puck inside the left post to stake the Rivermen to a 1-0 lead just 12 seconds into the second period on his fourth goal of the season.

Stealing the puck at the end boards in the left corner of the Houston zone, Rivermen right wing Mike Glumac worked hard to make Peoria's second goal happen. Once he had control of the puck, Glumac brought it out to the left face-off dot before wheeling around and throwing it on net. All Stempniak had to do to light the lamp was put his stick on the ice to re-direct the puck into the goal behind Aeros netminder Seamus Kotyk. The tally gave Peoria a 2-0 lead at the 7:48 mark of the second period.

The Rivermen clinched victory in this tilt with an empty-net goal. On a two-on-one break into the Houston zone late in the third period with centerman Gavin Morgan, Riddle buried the puck into an open Aeros net at 18:33. His ninth goal of the year established the final score of 3-0.

Next up for the Rivermen is another match-up with the Aeros on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. at Carver Arena.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 24, 2006


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