ECHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen drop two of three in week five

Published on November 22, 2004 under ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


THE RECAP:

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 @ Reading Game #9 ECHL Game #133

Rivermen 1 Reading 3

The Peoria Rivermen dropped their fourth game in a row in regulation to open their five-game road trip, falling to the Reading Royals 3-1 on Tuesday night before a crowd of 3,929 at the Sovereign Center. The game was the first matchup between the clubs since the Rivermen fell in four games (3-1) to the Royals in the Northern Division Finals. The losing streak equals Peoria's season-worst from the 2003-2004 season.

The Royals took their second lead of the night on the power play with 5:15 left in regulation. After a Rivermen clearing attempt hit a linesman just outside of the zone, David Masse chipped the puck by one Peoria player, broke in down the left side and rifled the puck through the legs of rookie goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu from the face-off dot. It was Masse's second tally of the season.

Ryan Kinasewich completed the scoring with 42 seconds left in the game. After a pass from Mike Souza, Kinasewich broke in down the left side of the Peoria zone all alone and whistled the puck through Beckford-Tseu's legs. It was Kinasewich's third goal of the season.

Peoria (2-5-2, 6 points) is winless in its first five road games (0-4-1) of the season. Reading (5-5-0, 10 points) has won five in a row.

Friday, November 19, 2004 @ Toledo Game #10 ECHL Game #150

Rivermen 5 Toledo 2

The Peoria Rivermen snapped a four-game losing streak and earned their first road win of the season with a 5-2 victory on Friday night over the archrival Toledo Storm before 3,400 at the Toledo Sports Arena.

The Rivermen gave themselves their second two-goal lead of the game 6:28 into the third period. Tyler Rennette, working up the right wing, fed Randy Rowe, who broke in across the Toledo blue line, held off a defenseman as he drove to the goal and chipped his third goal of the season up into the right corner over Toledo goaltender Scott Fankhouser.

Peoria completed the scoring with Toledo on the power play. Rookie Troy Riddle fed Captain Trevor Baker, who worked into the Toledo zone on left wing, got to the face-off dot and whistled his second tally of the game and third of the season into the near upper corner. It was Peoria's first shorthanded goal of the year.

Peoria (3-5-2, 8 points) improved to 1-4-1 on the road and is 1-0-1 against the Storm this year. Toledo (5-3-3, 13 points) dropped its first regulation decision at home in four games (3-1-0).

Saturday, November 20, 2004 vs. Toledo Game #11 ECHL Game #160

Rivermen 0 Toledo 1

A night after scoring five goals on the road in Toledo, the Rivermen couldn't muster one goal for the second time in four games, losing to the archrival Toledo Storm 1-0 on Saturday night in front of 6,056 at Carver Arena in the back end of a home-and-home set between the clubs.

The Rivermen, who have lost five of their last six games in regulation, were shut out 1-0 in Wheeling last Sunday.

Rookie Logan Koopmans (1-1-1) picked up his first professional win and shutout, stopping all 32 Peoria shots and an especially tough 10 chances in the final session. Peoria rookie goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu (1-3-1) turned aside 23 of 24 shots in defeat.

Peoria (3-6-2, 8 points) dropped to 2-2-1 on home ice and lost its first game in regulation to Toledo in more than season. The Rivermen are 1-1-1 against the Storm this year. Toledo (6-3-3, 15 points) moved a game above .500 on the road with a 3-2-3 mark. The Storm improved to 4-1-1 against the North Division.

The Captain's Log

Looking At Losses & Less Lamp Lighting

The Rivermen (3-6-2, 8 points) have lost five of their last six games in regulation with the second-worst record in the 28-team ECHL, and they are averaging .75 goals per game in their last four losses with a season average of 2.55 goals per game (22nd in the ECHL).

Gallant Goaltending

Despite a team record three games under .500 (3-6-2, 8 points), sixth-year Rivermen goaltender Alfie Michaud, the 2003 ECHL Goaltender of the Year and an ECHL First Team All-Star, and rookie Chris Beckford-Tseu have a collective goals against average (GAA) under 3.00 (2.87) and a save percentage over .910 (.911). Michaud owns a 2-3-1 record with a 2.97 GAA and .913 save percentage through six starts this year. Last season, he posted an 11-7-2 record with a 2.38 GAA, a .908 save percentage and one shutout for the Nürnberg Ice Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL – German Elite League). With Peoria in 2002-2003, the 27-year-old native of Selkirk, Manitoba, registered a 20-4-4 record with 2.10 GAA and a .927 save percentage. He appeared in two NHL games as a rookie in 1999-2000 with the Vancouver Canucks. Beckford-Tseu has a 1-3-1 record in five starts with 2.56 GAA and a .914 save percentage.

A First Goal For Us; Lights On To More Leads

In their 10th game of the season – a 5-2 road win in Toledo last Friday, the Rivermen finally opened a contest with the first goal. Peoria had two leads in their victory Friday night, and it has now led five times this year (all of them coming in its three wins).

Shucks! Shut Down Again

While being shut out just twice last season, the Rivermen – just 11 games into 2004-2005 – have already been shut out 1-0 twice in the last four games, losing in Wheeling on November 14 and at home to Toledo on November 20. Prior to November 14, Peoria was last shut out on the road in Wheeling on November 17, 2002 by a 3-0 score. Last season, Peoria suffered both of its shutout losses at home – November 8, 2003 vs. Reading (Rudkowsky, 44 saves, 5-0) & December 13 vs. Johnstown (Campbell, 40 saves, 2-0).

Keep Knocking To Get To Kelly

With 198 regular season and playoff wins to his credit, Rivermen Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jason Christie is just 11 wins away from tying and 12 wins away from breaking the Rivermen All-Time ECHL/International Hockey League (IHL) Franchise Coaching Wins record held by former Rivermen IHL Head Coach and ECHL Commissioner Emeritus Pat Kelly, who has 209. In his fifth season, Christie – a 35-year-old native of Gibbons, Alberta – owns the best regular season winning percentage (.682) of any coach in Rivermen ECHL history with a record of 180-75-34. He is one of just two head coaches in ECHL history to win 40 or more games in each of his first four seasons in the League; Pensacola's Dave Farrish is the other.

Doing The North Division Dance Again & Again

The Rivermen play their first 23 games of the season against teams in their own North Division with 60 of their 72 total games coming against the North. Peoria (3-6-2, 8 points) is ranked eighth in the eight-team North Division.

Injury, Call-up & Transaction Report

· Rivermen forward Colin Hemingway has been placed on the 7-day injured reserve, 11/19/04.

· Defenseman Brett Scheffelmaier remains on reassignment from the Worcester IceCats (AHL) by the NHL's St. Louis Blues, 11/19/04.

· Rivermen defenseman Chad Starling remains on the 7-day injured reserve, 11/16/04.

· Rivermen center Tyler Rennette has been activated from the 7-day injured reserve, 11/16/04.

· Rivermen right wing Joe Pereira remains on the 30-day injured reserve, 11/05/04.

· Rivermen defenseman Warren Toews remains on the 30-day injured reserve, 11/05/04.

· Left wing/defenseman Mark Jerant remains on reassignment from the Worcester IceCats (AHL), 11/04/04.

· Rivermen left wing David Kaczowka remains on reassignment to the Worcester IceCats (AHL), 11/04/04.

· Forward Colin Hemingway remains on reassignment from the Worcester IceCats (AHL) by the St. Louis Blues (NHL), 11/03/04.

Steering Our Way Through The Schedule

PRACTICE:

· The team will practice Tuesday, November 23 at Owens Center at 10:00 a.m. The team will practice at Carver Arena at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 24, Thursday, November 25 (Thanksgiving) & Friday, November 26. Practice times are subject to change.

GAMES:

· On Thursday, November 25 (Thanksgiving), the Rivermen continue three in a row on home ice against the Reading Royals in the first of two in a row and the second game in the last four between the clubs. Peoria fell 3-1 on the road to the Royals in the first of eight matchups on the season on Tuesday, November 16. The Rivermen were defeated by the Royals in last year's North Division Finals in four games (3-1). In regular season action, the Rivermen own a 6-3-3 lifetime ECHL record against Reading. The Royals (7-5-0, 14 points) are tied for fourth in the North Division with the Wheeling Nailers, having won an ECHL-best seven in a row. Reading is led by left wing Ryan Kinasewich (4g, 5a), right wing Judd Medak (3g, 5a) and center Graig Mischler (2g, 7a), who each have nine points in 12 games. As part of the Rivermen "Stuff The Bus" promotion, fans are encouraged to bring two canned goods to the Carver Arena Box Office to donate to the Peoria Friendship House, and they will receive a Half Price Upper Bowl ticket. The game broadcast can be heard LIVE on WWFS FOX Sports Radio 1290 AM and online at www.rivermen.net, beginning at 7:20 p.m. from Carver Arena. Game time is 7:30 p.m. CT.

· On Friday, November 26, Peoria and Reading do battle again in the third of eight meetings on the year and the second of four at Carver Arena. It is a Finally Friday, presented by 99X and Insight Media. Fans are encouraged to bring a Sprite/Barq's Root Beer/Pibb Xtra can to the Carver Arena Box Office to receive a "Buy One, Get One Upper Bowl Ticket Free" offer. They are also encouraged to bring new or gently-used coats to be donated as part of the Salvation Army "Coats for Kids" Drive. The game broadcast can be heard LIVE on WWFS FOX Sports Radio 1290 AM and online at www.rivermen.net, beginning at 7:20 p.m. from Carver Arena. Game time is 7:30 p.m. CT.

· On Saturday, November 27, the Rivermen travel to Dayton, Ohio for the first time this season to battle the Bombers in the first of four meetings at the Nutter Center and the second of nine total on the year. Peoria is 1-0-1 against Dayton this season at home, having defeated them 5-2 on October 22 in its home opener and losing 2-1 in a shootout on October 30. The Rivermen a 47-25-10 lifetime ECHL regular season record against the Bombers. Dayton (6-8-0, 12 points) is in seventh place in the eight-team North Division, four points in front of Peoria. The Bombers are led by forwards Tyler Kolarik (5g, 4a) and Shawn Limpright (4g, 5a), who have nine points each in 14 games. The game broadcast can be heard LIVE on WWFS FOX Sports Radio 1290 AM and online at www.rivermen.net, beginning at 5:50 p.m. from the Nutter Center. Game time is 6:00 p.m. CT.

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