ECHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Hold on to Beat Reading 5-3 at Home

February 28, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Peoria, Ill. (February 28, 2004) – Four is the magic number for the Peoria Rivermen on home ice. When the Rivermen score four or more goals at home, they are a perfect 10-0-0. They scored four in the opening period on Saturday night and went to beat the visiting Reading Royals 5-3 before a Saturday night crowd of 5,929 at Carver Arena.

The Rivermen sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 19:39, as Randy Rowe broke in alone for his second tally of the night and team-leading 28th marker of the season.

Peoria pest Kenny Goetz fought Reading's Scooter Smith with just 11 seconds remaining in regulation. Smith opened the fight connecting with four right hands, bloodying Goetz's lip. Goetz then came back with a flurry of seven solid rights to Smith's jaw to finish the bout.

Peoria (33-16-8, 74 points) has won three in a row after losing four straight and improved to 15-11-3 at home. The Rivermen have given themselves a four-point advantage over Reading for third place in the nine-team Northern Division. Peoria is 3-1-1 against the Royals this season and finished 2-1-1 at Carver Arena against them; the teams will meet in Reading, Pa. on March 16 to finish out the season series. Reading (31-17-8, 70 points) has lost two in a row after winning three straight and going unbeaten in regulation in eight contests in a row (7-0-1). The Royals fell to 10-16-5 on the road this season.

Rivermen goaltender Mike Valley turned away 34 of 37 chances in his 20th win of the season (20-7-6); it is the first 20-win season of Valley's career. Former Rivermen netminder Cody Rudkowsky registered his 14th loss of the season, stopping seven of 11 shots in the first period before he was relieved by back-up Peter Hamerlik to start the second. Hamerlik turned away all 14 shots he faced over the second and third periods.

Peoria opened the scoring in a four-goal first period at 9:42 on the power play. Colin Hemingway and Adam Edinger worked a delayed give-and-go out of the left wing corner. Hemingway chipped the puck to Edinger in behind the Reading goal, and as soon as Edinger came out the other side, he fed the puck back through the goal crease to Hemingway. Hemingway rocketed his fifth goal in a Rivermen uniform just under the crossbar.

It was the first of three power play goals in three opportunities in the session, and it was the third time Peoria tallied three power play goals in one game this season.

Peoria's Joe Pereira and Reading's Dave Stewart duked it out in the first period at 9:53. Both players exchanged numerous lefts in a split decision.

The Rivermen made it 2-0 with their second power play marker at 13:16 of the first period. Edinger and Turner worked into the Reading zone on a 2-on-1. As Turner – carrying the puck – got to the right face-off dot, he slipped a pass to Edinger in the slot. Edinger swiveled, putting his back to the goal, and lifted a backhand shot, his 16th tally of the season, over Rudkowsky – who was pulled out of position.

Peoria pushed its lead to 3-0 at 17:56 of the first with its only even strength marker. Hemingway fed Tyler Rennette, who maneuvered the puck in the Reading end down the left wing and whistled his 23rd tally of the season just under the arm of Rudkowsky and inside the right goal post.

The Rivermen collected their third man advantage marker of the opening period at 19:31. George Halkidis' slap shot from the center point deflected high off the stick of a Reading defender right to Rowe, who – stationed at the top of the right face-off circle – one-timed his 27th goal of the season into the upper right corner.

The Royals got on the board at 10:30 of the second on the power play. It was the first of two tallies in 41 seconds for them. Lars Pettersen chipped a backhand shot over Valley, who had initially stopped Reading Captain Brad Church out in front of the net. It was Pettersen's 13th tally of the season.

The tally ended a 123:53 shutout streak for Valley that started after Toledo's Morten Ask scored a power play at 6:37 of the second period on Wednesday in Toledo. Valley owns the individual team mark for a shutout streak this season at 124:48.

Reading made it 4-2 at 11:11 of the second. Craig Mischler's shot from the right face-off circle deflected off the skates of Kent Davyduke and into the net as he raced in and met the puck just off the left goal post. The deflection was ruled to be unintentional. It was Davyduke's 22nd marker of the season.

The Royals got within one with 4:07 left of the second. Peter Hay took a pass from Davyduke at center ice, broke into the Peoria zone on right wing and rifled his 18th goal of the season just past the blocker of Valley and inside the left goal post.

On Friday, March 5 and Saturday, March 6, the Rivermen host the archrival Toledo Storm in two in a row. Game times are 7:00 p.m. at Carver Arena. On Friday, it is another Coca-Cola Finally Friday. Fans receive a 2-for-1 Upper Bowl admission when they present a Cherry Coke or Vanilla Coke can at the Carver Arena Box Office. On Saturday, "Jars of Clay" will perform in a post-game Christian concert, and the first 5,000 fans receive a Rivermen Team Photo, courtesy of Mac's and Big Foot Convenience Stores.

Check out the Peoria Rivermen Statistics



ECHL Stories from February 28, 2004


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