Rivermen Can't Hold on at Home Against Johnstown, Fall 3-2 in a Shootout
February 15, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release
Peoria, Ill. (February 15, 2005) â The Peoria Rivermen needed just 2:29 more to hold off the rival Johnstown Chiefs in regulation on Tuesday night but couldn't, as the Chiefs tied the game 2-2 and ultimately won 3-2 in a shootout in front of a Tuesday-night crowd of 3,009 at Carver Arena.
The Rivermen had taken their first lead of the night at 7:59 of the third. Colin Hemingway stole the puck from a Johnstown defenseman in the center-ice face-off circle, springing veteran Reggie Stringer on a breakaway. Stringer, a left-handed shot, pulled the puck from his backhand to his forehand, causing Cann to do the splits. Stringer was able to tuck the puck behind Cann's right pad and inside the left goal post for his 12th marker of the year and second in as many games.
The Chiefs tied the game 2-2 at 17:31 of the final period of regulation. Ian Manzano, stationed at the right side of the goal, fed Joe Tallari in the slot for a one-time shot into the upper left corner. It was his 15th tally of the season.
There was no scoring in the four-on-four overtime, as the teams went to an overtime shootout.
Peoria struck first in the second round of the shootout as Stringer beat Johnstown goaltender David Cann between the five-hole. The Chiefs tied it up in the third round, as Matt Reid slipped a wrist shot inside the left goal post. The Chiefs would take their first shootout of the year in nine opportunities (1-8). The Rivermen fell to 1-4 in shootouts this season.
Peoria (22-17-6, 50 points), who dropped to 12-6-4 at home this season, remains six points out of the fourth and final playoff spot in the North Division. The Rivermen are 1-0-1 through two games of their 23-year Peoria professional hockey record 11 straight at Carver Arena. Peoria killed off another five power plays, pushing their continuing franchise-record for consecutive penalty kills to 63, which is three away from the ECHL record of 66 in a row set by the Mississippi Sea Wolves in 2000-2001. Johnstown (16-18-11, 43 points) snapped a six-game winless skid (0-5-1) and improved to 6-10-5 on the road with one game remaining in Dayton on Friday on the Chiefs' five-game road trip.
Rivermen rookie goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu (7-9-3), who was benched after giving up three goals in the first period of last Saturday night's 3-0 shutout loss in Dayton, stopped 37 of 39 in regulation and overtime, while turning away three of five chances in the shootout. Cann (6-6-4) turned away 27 of 29 shot attempts in regulation and overtime and four of five shots in the shootout.
There was no scoring in the first period, but Johnstown came out with renewed vigor after last Sunday's 7-1 loss to Peoria, outshooting the Rivermen 10-3.
The Chiefs broke the scoreless tie just 2:14 into the middle stanza. Matt Reid raced down a loose puck near the right-wing corner, backhanding a centering attempt to the top of the goal crease, where Chad Cavanagh chipped his ninth tally of the season inside the left goal post.
The Rivermen tied the game 1-1 at 9:05 of the second. Hemingway took a pass from Trevor Byrne in the slot, between the hash marks, and ripped his third goal in the last two games into the upper left corner. It was Hemingway's sixth goal of the season.
The Rivermen host NHL-er Scott Gomez and the Alaska Aces on Friday, February 18 in the first of two in a row between the clubs. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Carver Arena.
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