AHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Dropped in Milwaukee 3-2

Published on January 27, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Milwaukee, WI - The Peoria Rivermen continues to struggle, as they lost their fifth game in six contests, stumbling to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Admirals Saturday night in front of 10,579 at the Bradley Center.

It was the second night in a row in which the Rivermen lost after striking first. Prior to Friday's game against Iowa, in which Peoria fell 2-1 after taking a 1-0 advantage in the first period, the Rivermen had a record of 14-2-1-1 when opening the scoring.

Although no goals were registered in the first frame, there was plenty of excitement. Rivermen forward Rocky Thompson and Milwaukee defenseman T.J. Reynolds traded blows after a Thompson slash at 3:59; less than three minutes later, at 6:46, Peoria defenseman Zack FitzGerald, who was recently reassigned from the ECHL Alaska Aces, battled Admirals left wing Kelsey Wilson.

The Rivermen (23-19-1-2, 49 pts) were finally able to slip one past Milwaukee goaltender Pekka Rinne - who grabbed his first win of the season, while playing in his fourth game after suffering a shoulder injury - to open the scoring at 10:25 of the second stanza. Right wing Mike Glumac brought the puck in the zone along the left wing boards then cut into the left face-off circle, where he fired a shot that flew over the left shoulder of Rinne. The goal was Glumac's 12th of the season.

Milwaukee (23-17-3-5, 54 pts) pulled even at 14:24 of the middle session on center Rich Peverley's team-leading 19 th marker of the year. Defenseman Sheldon Brookbank launched a shot from the left point that was initially saved by Peoria netminder Jason Bacashihua. The rebound slid behind the net to the right, where Peverley quickly knocked the puck off the right leg of Bacashihua, barely trickling across the goal line before the goalie could swat it away.

The Admirals took a 2-1 lead when center Cal O'Reilly scored his ninth goal of the season at 4:50 of the final period. Defenseman Ville Koistinen snapped a shot from the left point that was redirected just in front of the goal mouth by O'Reilly, but Bacashihua was able to stop the puck with his right pad; however, it settled in the crease and O'Reilly was able to poke it into the net.

Milwaukee registered its third unanswered tally on a wild goal on the power play at 15:47 of the third frame. From the center point, Brookbank dished the puck to Koistinen at the top of the left face-off circle, where he blasted a one-timer that sailed over the net, hit the glass and bounced back into the crease; while the puck was still in the air, Peverley dove and swatted it in the net. It was the second marker of the contest and 20th of the 2006-07 campaign for Peverley.

Peoria cut the deficit to 3-2 at 17:32 of the last period, but that was as close as they would come. Left wing Michal Birner whipped a shot from the right point that pin-balled off the skates of a couple players in the slot and landed in front of center Konstantin Zakharov's stick. Zakharov popped the puck in the air toward the net and it traveled over the left shoulder of Rinne, who did not appear to see it due to all the traffic in the slot. The goal was the sixth of the year for Zakharov.

The Rivermen fell to 10-8-1-2 on the road and have a week off for the AHL All-Star Break; they are back in action in Grand Rapids to battle the Griffins on Saturday, February 3. Game time is 6:00 p.m.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 27, 2007


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