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ECHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Come Back to Win in a Shootout 5-4 in Johnstown

February 16, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Peoria, Ill. (February 16, 2004) – The Peoria Rivermen fought off bus-weary legs, battling back from a 4-1 deficit to beat the rival Johnstown Chiefs 5-4 in a shootout before a Monday night crowd of 2,307 at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena.

The Rivermen got back within two goals late the middle session, making it 4-2. Crawford, making up for earlier gaffe on a Johnstown shorthanded goal, wristed a shot from the right point that was tipped past Johnstown rookie goaltender David Currie just off the left post by former Rivermen All-Star Tyler Rennette. It was Rennette's 20th goal, giving his 20 or more tallies in three consecutive seasons, and came at 19:24.

Peoria made it 4-3 at 8:43 of the final session with its second power play goal of the night. Adam Edinger broke out of the right wing corner to feed Scott Turner, who was racing across the goal mouth and waited for Currie to go down before beating him upstairs on the forehand just off the left post. It was Turner's 7th goal of the season.

The Rivermen finished the night 2-for-5 with the man advantage, while Johnstown was 1-for-5.

Peoria completed its comeback at 13:30 of the third. Turner took a pass from Edinger at the left face-off circle and fed a breaking Marty Johnston at the right side of the slot for his 15th tally of the season and fourth in the last two games.

In the shootout, Jay Langager struck first in the second shootout round for Johnstown, before Johnston roofed a tally into the right corner in the third round and Rennette collected the winner on a slap shot inside the right post in the fourth round. Valley stopped four of five in the shootout for his third shootout win of the season (3-3); he improved to 17-5-6 with 25 saves on 29 shots in regulation and overtime. Currie turned away three of five in the shootout and dropped to 0-2 in shootout opportunities; he dropped to 10-6-2 on the year with 25 stops in regulation and overtime as well.

The Rivermen improved to 6-4 in shootouts, and the Chiefs dropped to 1-6 in shootouts.

Peoria (30-12-8, 68 points) has won five in a row, one shy of a season-high six consecutive wins set on January 13. The Rivermen improved their ECHL-best road record to 17-4-5 and remain unbeaten in regulation in their last four games (3-0-1) away from Carver Arena. Johnstown (27-16-6, 60 points) fell to 16-4-4 on home ice, earning one point for the shootout loss, and is winless in its last two games (0-1-1).

The Chiefs took a 1-0 lead early in the opening period on the power play. Chris Leinweber fired a slap shot from the left point that Valley stopped with his left pad, but the rebound ricocheted right off the leg of Larry Courville, who was stationed just off the right post and was credited with his seventh tally of the season.

Johnstown pushed their advantage to 2-0 at 5:07 of the second period. Shawn Mather and Brent Kelly broke into the Peoria zone on a 2-on-1 breakaway with Mather feeding Kelly, who darted down the right side of the slot and snapped a low shot just inside the post. It was Kelly's 17th tally of the year.

The Rivermen got on the board on the power play at 11:00 of the second. Greg Black took a pass at the right face-off circle from Rivermen Captain Trevor Baker, picked his spot and snapped his fifth goal in a Rivermen uniform through a maze of players into the far upper corner.

The Chiefs grabbed their two-goal lead back just 34 seconds later. Dominic Forget flew in off the left wing, collected a Jeff Zehr rebound and chipped his 13th goal of the season over Valley, who was down on the ice after an initial save.

Johnstown gave itself three-goal lead with Peoria on the power play at 15:48. Courville stole the puck from Crawford at the Peoria blue line, broke in alone on Valley and beat him with a backhand shot inside the right post. It was his eighth tally of the season.

It was the second shorthanded goal allowed by the Rivermen in five games but just their third given up this season.

Tomorrow night – Tuesday, February 17 – the Rivermen battle the rival Chiefs for the second night in a row. Game time is 6:00 p.m. CT at the Cambria County War Memorial.

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