AHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen get back on winning track

Published on December 31, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Peoria, IL - One night after allowing seven second-period goals en route to an 11-5 loss in Chicago, the Peoria Rivermen found themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum in their New Year's Eve match-up with the Hamilton Bulldogs. This time, it was the Rivermen who blew the game open in the second period, as the Peoria club struck for four goals in the middle frame to claim a 5-0 lead at the second intermission. They would then go on to defeat Hamilton by a final count of 5-1.

The Rivermen took control of the tilt in the second period. Peoria went up 2-0 on Rocky Thompson's first goal of the season. When center Troy Riddle fanned on a shot from in close at the bottom of the right circle, the puck dribbled across the crease to Thompson, who slid the puck past Bulldogs netminder Yann Danis as Thompson was hassled by a Bulldogs defender. The goal came just 3:36 into the second.

Peoria took a 3-0 lead while on a power play. As a long shot came in on net from the right point, center Blake Evans tipped it right at Danis. Winger Lee Stempniak was then able to move it from right to left across the top of the crease, where pinching defenseman Trevor Byrne charged in and stuffed it by Danis at the 6:43 mark of the middle period.

Carrying the puck around the back of the Hamilton goal from right to left, Peoria right wing Jon DiSalvatore whipped the puck to the front of the goal. Stationed near the top of the crease was Rivermen leading scorer Mike Glumac, who received the puck and coolly lifted it into the upper portion of the net over Danis for a 4-0 Peoria advantage at the 7:51 mark of the second frame.

Defenseman Zack Fitzgerald staked the Peoria squad to a 5-0 lead with his first American Hockey League goal. Winger Lee Stempniak began the play by bringing the puck out of the left corner in the Hamilton zone and up the left-wing boards toward the blueline. After spying an open Fitzgerald at the right point, Stempniak zipped a cross-ice pass to him, and Fitzgerald blasted a slap shot between Danis' body and his left arm to light the lamp at 17:22 of the second period.

The Rivermen put an end to a three-game winless streak with the win on Saturday evening and improved their overall record to 17-14-1-1. At home in Carver Arena, the Rivermen are now 11-6-0-1. The Bulldogs with the loss drop to 13-23-0-2 overall and to 6-13-0-1 on the road.

About midway through the first frame, the Rivermen opened the scoring in the game. After defenseman Mike Mottau took a shot from the center point, a rebound dribbled to the right of Bulldogs netminder Yann Danis. Winger Jon DiSalvatore just barely got his stick on the puck at the left post, but center Trent Whitfield was there to bang it home for a 1-0 Peoria advantage at the 11:00 mark of the first.

The Bulldogs scored in the third period to ruin the shutout bid of Rivermen goalie Chris Beckford-Tseu. On a slapper by left wing Lucas Lawson from the top of the left circle, Beckford-Tseu stretched to make the save, but a long rebound shot into the slot. Streaking down the slot, Hamilton right wing Jonathan Ferland one-timed the puck into an open net before Beckford-Tseu could recover. The goal produced the final score of 5-1 in favor of Peoria at 7:24 of the third.

The Rivermen will not play again until next weekend, when they will hit the road for a Friday affair in Hamilton and a Saturday afternoon match in Cleveland.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 31, 2005


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