AHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Come Back to Beat Houston 4-3 at Home

February 10, 2007 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Peoria, IL - The Peoria Rivermen traded goals all night with the Houston Aeros and then took their first lead of the game on a power play goal with 1:12 remaining to win 4-3 in front of 5,076 at Carver Arena Saturday night.

After tonight's victory, Peoria (25-19-1-2, 53 pts) owns a record of 13-5-1-2 in one-goal games. Houston, who has played a franchise-record nine straight one-goal games, fell to 8-10-3-5 in one-goal contests.

The Aeros (20-24-3-5, 48 pts), who has lost seven straight road games (0-4-2-1), opened the scoring at 8:54 of the first frame on left wing Ryan Hamilton's sixth goal of the season. From behind the net, center Jason Morgan held the puck until he saw Hamilton streaking through the left circle. Hamilton one-timed the pass just inside the left post and past Peoria netminder Jason Bacashihua, who was sliding to his right in an attempt to stop the puck.

Just under two minutes later, at 10:50 of the opening stanza, Peoria evened the contest 1-1. Center Gavin Morgan dished the puck from the left point down to the left-wing corner for left wing D.J. King, who attempted a wrap-around, but King was unable to put it on net as it slid through the crease. Luckily, left wing Cam Keith was in the right spot just to the left of Houston goalie Dieter Kochan for an easy tap-in and his fourth tally of the year.

Houston responded to make the game 2-1 on Morgan's sixth marker of the 2006-07 campaign at 13:44 of the first period. Right wing Matt Foy was skating to his right through the right face-off circle and slid a shot on net that was tipped by a Rivermen defenseman and stopped by Bacashihua; however, the puck sat in the crease and Morgan skated in from the slot and poked it into the vacated net.

The Rivermen again tied the game on right wing Jon DiSalvatore's 13th goal of the year at 7:14 of the middle period in a 4-on-4 situation. DiSalvatore flew toward the Aeros net through the slot and tried to lift a shot above the pads of Kochan, who fell to the ice to cover the low shot. Kochan denied the initial opportunity. Center Trent Whitfield hacked at the puck but was also stopped by the goalie, before finally DiSalvatore was able to jam it into the net. The goal was his eighth point (3g, 5a) in his last six games.

The Aeros regained the lead for the third time with a power play goal at 10:04 of the second session. Defenseman Shawn Belle wound-up at the center point as if he were going to shoot, but then fired a pass to Foy just to the left of Bacashihua, who committed to the shot at the top of the crease. Foy was able to sneak the puck between the left post and Bacashihua's right skate for his team-leading 21st marker of the year.

Peoria tied the game 3-3 on left wing Michal Birner's sixth tally of the season at 9:50 of the final frame. Center Yan Stastny forced a Houston player to make a bad pass from behind the net to the bottom of the right face-off circle, where Birner snapped a shot that deflected off the right post and into the net.

The Rivermen took their first lead of the game with a goal on the man advantage at 18:48 of the last period. Center Ryan Ramsay started the play at the top of the right face-off circle, where he fired a pass cross-ice to the left face-off circle for Tomas Mojzis, who quickly dished it to the right of the Houston net for Birner. He easily slammed it into the net for his second goal of the period and seventh overall. It was his first professional two-goal contest.

Houston had a chance to send the contest into overtime as right wing Danny Irmen earned a penalty shot with 2.2 seconds remaining. Irmen started off left then veered to the right in the slot, attempting to send a backhanded shot through the legs of Bacashihua, but Irmen was stoned to seal the victory for the Rivermen.

The Rivermen, who improved to 15-11-0-0 at home, will continue their four-game home stand against the San Antonio Rampage tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 p.m.




American Hockey League Stories from February 10, 2007


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