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ECHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen fall beyond regulation in games against Toledo, Dayton

November 1, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


THE RECAP:

Friday, October 29, 2004 @ Toledo Game #2 ECHL Game #42

Rivermen 1 Toledo 2 Overtime

Rivermen goaltender Alfie Michaud (1-0-1) nearly carried his team to an overtime shootout opportunity with more than 52 saves but came up 24 seconds short, allowing just his second goal of the night late in the 4-on-4 overtime session with the Rivermen falling to the archrival Toledo Storm 2-1 in front of 3,428 on Friday night at the Toledo Sports Arena.

Michaud allowed one goal on 21 shots in the opening session and then shut out the Storm with 29 saves over the final two periods of regulation. In overtime, Michaud – the sixth-year professional – stopped the first three chances he faced but gave up the 54th and final shot to Toledo veteran Rick Judson, who broke into the zone down the left wing and fired his first of the season through Michaud's legs.

The Rivermen (1-0-1), who owned the best road record in the ECHL last season at 23-7-6, dropped their first of the season away from Carver Arena and the first of 11 meetings with Toledo, against whom they had a 10-0-2 record last year. The Storm (3-0-0) opened the season with three straight home wins, as they now head on the road for seven in a row.

Saturday, October 30, 2004 vs. Dayton Game #3 ECHL Game #50

Rivermen 1 Dayton 2 Shootout

Saturday night's game between the Peoria Rivermen and the archrival Dayton Bombers turned into a rookie goaltending duel that Bombers netminder Mike Ayers won for a 2-1 shootout victory over Peoria before a crowd of 5,453 at Carver Arena.

Ayers stopped 44 total Rivermen chances in regulation and overtime before turning away three of five shots in the shootout for his first professional victory in his second career professional appearance.

In the shootout, Tyler Rennette struck first in the second round. Dayton's Michael Tessier then tied it up to open the third round. Peoria took the lead on Troy Riddle's chance from in front to end the third round, but in the fourth and fifth rounds, Dayton's Preston Mizzi and Scott Cameron (shootout winner) scored, while Peoria's Igor Valeev and Randy Rowe were stopped.

Rivermen goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu, making his professional debut, stopped 16 of 17 shots in the first period with 38 total saves on 39 shots in regulation and overtime. He turned aside two of five chances in the shootout.

Peoria (1-0-2) earned a point for the shootout loss and fell to 1-0-1 at home this season with both games against the Bombers. Dayton (3-2-0) moved to .500 on the road (2-2-0) and 1-1-0 against the Rivermen this season.

The Captain's Log

Division Discourse

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 is 1-0-1 against the Dayton Bombers this season after two home decisions (10/22 – 5-2W; 10/30 – 1-2 SOL), and the Rivermen are 0-0-1 against the archrival Toledo Storm after one road decision (10/29 – 2-1 OTL). The Rivermen host the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies in two in a row this Friday, November 5 and Saturday, November 6 at Carver Arena.

Grand Goaltending

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 opened the season with a collective 1.90 goals against average (GAA) and a .953 save percentage over three games. Michaud has stopped 83 of the 87 shots he has faced over Peoria's first two games (1-0-1), posting a .954 save percentage along with a 1.93 goals against average (GAA). 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, who made his professional debut in last Saturday's 2-1 shootout loss to the Dayton Bombers, stopped 38 of 39 shots in regulation and overtime. The 20-year-old native of Toronto, Ontario, has .92 GAA and a .974 save percentage after one game.

Looking to Catch Kelly

With 196 regular season and playoff wins to his credit, Rivermen Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jason Christie is just 13 wins away from tying and 14 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. Heading into his fifth season, Christie guided the Rivermen to the Division Finals last season for the second time in his career. The 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.

Injury, Call-up & Transaction Report

· Defenseman Trevor Johnson has been signed and added to the roster, 10/26/04.

· Defenseman Dan Rohanna has been released, 10/26/04.

Steering Our Way Through The Schedule

PRACTICE:

· The Rivermen will practice Tuesday, November 2 through Saturday, November 6 at Carver Arena at 10:00 a.m. Practice times are subject to change.

GAMES:

· On Friday, November 5, the Rivermen host the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies in the first of two in a row between the clubs and the first of eight meetings on the season. Last year, Peoria defeated Atlantic City 3-1 in the North Division Semifinals, winning the final two games at Carver Arena in overtime. During the 2003-2004 regular season, the Rivermen were undefeated in regulation in four meetings (2-0-2) against the Boardwalk Bullies; Peoria owns a 4-1-3 lifetime ECHL regular season record against Atlantic City. The Boardwalk Bullies (2-2-1, 5 points) split action last weekend, getting nipped by the Trenton Titans 2-1 on Friday at home and shutting out the Reading Royals at home 1-0 on Saturday. Atlantic City is led by left wing Luke Curtin, who has five points (2g, 3a) in five games with a +4 plus/minus. Spider-Man will appear courtesy of Marvel Comics. The game broadcast can be heard TAPE DELAY on WWFS FOX Sports Radio 1290 AM and LIVE online at www.rivermen.net, beginning at 7:20 p.m. from Carver Arena. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

· On Saturday, November 6, Peoria hosts the Boardwalk Bullies in the second of two in a row between the clubs. Goodwill Industries, Inc. will host a Toy Drive. The game broadcast can be heard LIVE on WWFS FOX Sports Radio 1290 AM and online at www.rivermen.net, beginning at 6:50 p.m. from Carver Arena. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

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