Rivermen Come Back but Fall to Alaska 3-2 in a Shootout
February 19, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release
Peoria, Ill. - The Peoria Rivermen rescued themselves a point with two goals in the final 3:19 of regulation to tie the game but fell 3-2 in a shootout to the Alaska Aces before a crowd of 5,259 on Saturday night at Carver Arena.
The Rivermen got within one at 16:41 of the third period. Colin Hemingway, stationed at the left side of the slot in the face-off circle, snapped a low shot just over the left pad of Alaska goaltender Lance Mayes and inside the right goal post. It was Hemingway's seventh goal of the year.
Peoria tied the game 2-2 with just 29 seconds left in regulation. Rivermen Captain Trevor Baker, in behind the Alaska goal, tried to send the puck out to the high slot for Brian McCullough. The puck was popped high in the air by a stick and McCullough batted it out of mid-air in the slot and past Mayes for his team-leading 23rd tally of the year.
After neither team could score in the overtime, the Rivermen struck first in the first shootout round as Igor Valeev backed Mayes into the net for a backhand goal. Alaska's Olivier Filion equalized in the third round with a low shot inside the right post, and B.J. Young won it for the Aces in the fifth round as he kicked the puck up to his stick blade for a slip-in goal inside the right post.
Peoria (23-17-7, 63 points), who dropped to 1-5 in shootouts with the loss, is now 2-0-2 through four games of a Peoria professional hockey record 11 in a row at home. The Rivermen fell to 12-6-5 at home on the year. Alaska (30-15-5, 65 points) improved to 5-3 in shootouts on the year and 13-7-2 on the road. The Aces are 11-2-1 in their last 14 games.
Rivermen goaltender Alfie Michaud (16-8-4) turned away 23 of 25 shots in regulation and overtime; he stopped three of five in the shootout. Mayes (12-6-0) stopped 37 of 39 in regulation and overtime; he denied four of five chances in the shootout.
The teams were scoreless after one period, but Peoria missed two golden chances in the first session. McCullough missed the net on an open goal from just off the left post, and then later Justin Maiser clanged a Russ Guzior rebound off the left goal post.
The teams were scoreless after two periods, but Peoria tied and broke the ECHL record for most consecutive penalty kills at 66, which was set by the Mississippi Sea Wolves in 2000-2001. The Rivermen killed the remainder of a Maiser goaltender interference 1:20 into the second to tie the mark, and then broke it at 10:36, when Igor Valeev exited the penalty box after a high-sticking minor. Peoria would kill another power play before the second period ended for its 68th straight penalty kill.
Alaska broke the scoreless tie early in the final period of regulation. Mike Minard, the ECHL's leading goal-scorer, fed Filion at the right hash mark in the slot. Filion, who started with his back to the goal, spun and fired a low shot inside the left post past a screened Michaud. It was Filion's eighth goal of the year.
The Aces made it 2-0 with 5:40 left in the game. Joe Talbot shoveled the puck toward the goal from the right slot and it deflected off Rivermen defenseman Trevor Byrne and through the legs of Michaud. It was Talbot's 19th marker of the season.
The Rivermen host the Alaska Aces for the third straight game on Thursday, February 24. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Carver Arena.
ECHL Stories from February 19, 2005
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