ECHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Edged in Wheeling 2-1 in Regulation

March 20, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Wheeling, W. VA – Peoria's 10th shorthanded goal allowed this season spelled defeat for the fourth time this season in Wheeling, W. Va., as the Rivermen lost to the Nailers 2-1 before 4,723 on Saturday night at WesBanco Arena.

Peoria finished its final ECHL regular season at 1-4-0 at WesBanco Arena and dropped to 2-4-1 in the season series.

The Nailers took their second lead of the night and tallied the game winner just less than five minutes into the final session of regulation. With Peoria on the power play, Ed McGrane and Ray DiLauro broke out of the Wheeling zone on a two-on-one. DiLauro brought the puck in down the right side of the Rivermen zone, drawing a Peoria defender to him before sending a cross-ice pass to the left goal post. McGrane was nearly caught by Rivermen winger Brian McCullough, who retreated hard back into the Rivermen zone to recover defensively, but had just enough daylight off the left post to chip his 24th tally of the season past an outstretched Peoria goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu.

Peoria (32-22-7, 71 points) finished its five-city, seven-game, nine-day road trip with a 3-4-0 record and fell to 13-15-2 on the road this season. The Rivermen and the Nailers have two games remaining in the season set next Friday and Saturday night at Carver Arena. Peoria has held the opposition to two goals or less in 18 of its last 33 games. Wheeling (36-23-4, 76 points) snapped a three-game losing streak in the loss and improved to 21-9-2 at home.

Beckford-Tseu (9-12-3) stopped 15 of 17 shots in defeat, and Wheeling goaltender Andy Chiodo (8-6-1) turned away 23 of 24 Rivermen chances in the victory.

The Nailers enjoyed a 1-0 lead after one period on the strength of a power play tally. Stationed at the right point, McGrane started the play by snapping a pass to the center point for DiLauro. DiLauro faked the shot and dished it back to McGrane, who was along the boards just inside the blue line and rifled a low shot toward the Peoria goal. Rick Gorman was at top of the goal crease in front of the net for Wheeling, while Brendan Hodge was at the right post. Gorman was able to get a stick on the shot for a deflection past Beckford-Tseu. It was Gorman's second goal of the season.

The Rivermen equalized with 6:08 left in the second period. McCullough raced in down the right side of the Wheeling zone, catching up to the puck and backhanding it toward the Nailers goal. After an initial stop, the rebound came to the left side of the bottom of the right face-off circle, where veteran Reggie Stringer snapped a shot off the right arm of Chiodo. A charging Justin Maiser, who was barreling down the left side of the slot, flipped the puck past a diving Chiodo for his 16th tally of the season.

On Tuesday, March 22 and Wednesday, March 23, the Rivermen host the rival Johnstown Chiefs in two in a row between the teams. Game times are 7:00 p.m. at Carver Arena.

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ECHL Stories from March 20, 2005


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