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ECHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen open seven-game, nine-day road trip 1-2-0

March 15, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


THE RECAP:

Tuesday, March 8, 2005 @ Trenton Game #54 ECHL Game #790

Rivermen 4 Trenton 3 Shootout

After giving up a two-goal lead in the third period, the Peoria Rivermen found themselves in an uncomfortable position... in a shootout.

Coming into the game, the Rivermen were 1-5 in six shootout opportunities, but left wing Randy Rowe scored in the sixth round for a 4-3 shootout victory over the Trenton Titans before 3,003 on Tuesday night.

After neither team could score in overtime, the teams went to a shootout. Igor Valeev got the Rivermen on the board in the first shootout round before Stephen Wood equalized in the third round. Rivermen left wing Randy Rowe won it in the sixth round, the first of sudden death, pumping a shot into the upper left corner from the low slot.

The Titans had gotten within one on the power play at 11:47 of the third. Rosario Ruggeri, at the right point in the Peoria zone, found Leon Hayward just off the left goal post for a low one-time slap shot goal past diving Rivermen netminder Alfie Michaud. It was Hayward's 10th goal of the season.

Prior to that opposition power play tally, the Rivermen had killed off 87 of 90 opposition man advantage chances, including a Peoria professional hockey record and ECHL record 71 in a row.

Trenton tied the game 3-3 with its second power play goal in a row. Nick Deschenes' shot from the bottom of the right face-off circle was stopped by Michaud, but the rebound popped right to Bryce Cockburn, who – from the bottom of the left face-off circle – lofted the puck over the stick of a sliding Michaud. It was Cockburn's 14th goal of the year.

Peoria (29-18-7, 65 points) set a season-best with six straight wins and finished a Peoria professional hockey record 11 in a row at home with an 8-1-2 mark. The Rivermen improved to 5-0-0 against the Titans this season and to 19-7-5 at Carver Arena this season. Peoria (.601) is now mathematically in the playoffs because it owns a better point-making percentage than Trenton (.598) and Toledo (.579). The Rivermen are one point back of Toledo with three games in hand and two points back of Trenton with two games in hand. Trenton (29-18-9, 67 points) is winless in its last three games (0-1-2) and dropped to 12-10-5 on the road.

Friday, March 11, 2005 @ Toledo Game #55 ECHL Game #808

Rivermen 2 Toledo 3

The Peoria Rivermen fought back from two one-goal deficits but gave up a goal late in regulation to fall to the archrival Toledo Storm, 3-2, before 3,936 on Friday night at the Toledo Sports Arena.

For the second time in the game, Peoria was unable to clear the puck as Toledo's Todd Jackson held the puck in near the right point. Jackson then found veteran Rick Judson down the left side of the zone for an easy tip-in goal on the doorstep with exactly one minute left, beating Rivermen goaltender Alfie Michaud, who relieved rookie Chris Beckford-Tseu late in the game after he was run by a Toledo player.

Peoria (29-19-7, 65 points) had its season-best, six-game winning streak come to an end in the loss. The Rivermen, who had posted an 8-1-2 record in an 11-game franchise record homestand, dropped to 10-12-2 on the road; it was their first road game since February 12. Peoria has allowed three goals or less in 23 of its last 27 games. Toledo (32-22-4, 68 points) snapped a three-game losing streak with the win; the last two games in the streak were at the hands of the Rivermen. The Storm, who have won three of their last four home games, improved to 19-8-1 at the Sports Arena this season.

Saturday, March 12, 2005 @ Toledo Game #56 ECHL Game #822

Rivermen 1 Toledo 6

The Peoria Rivermen were unable to rebound from a late loss to the archrival Toledo Storm last night, losing 6-1 in a shellacking in front of 4,545 on Saturday night at Toledo Sports Arena.

Carl Mallette, who was acquired on Tuesday as part of a seven-player deal with the Greenville Grrrowl, posted a four-goal game, finishing the night with two goals in the final period.

Mallette's hat trick goal came just 24 seconds into the third session on a Kevin Bergin pass, and his fourth of the contest and his team's sixth marker came with 6:33 left in the game on a deflection in front of the Peoria goal on a shot from above the right face-off circle by Todd Jackson. Mallette, who assisted on a goal last night, has five points (4g, 1a) in two games since joining Toledo.

Todd Jackson gave the Storm a 5-1 lead, taking the puck from center ice and working into the Peoria zone on right wing. Between the blue line and the face-off circle, Jackson netted a waist-high wrist shot for his ninth goal of the season.

The Rivermen spoiled the combined shutout with 1:43 remaining in regulation. Reggie Stringer snapped home his 15th tally of the year and his second in as many nights from the right face-off circle.

Peoria (29-20-7, 65 points) has lost two in a row and dropped to 10-13-2 on the road through two games of a grueling seven-game road swing in nine days. The Rivermen dropped to 4-5-1 through 10 games of the season series. It was just the third time this season Peoria had surrendered six tallies in a game. Peoria is now six points out of the final playoff spot in the North Division, trailing the Trenton Titans. Toledo (33-22-4, 70 points) has won two in a row and pushed its gap over Peoria in fifth place to five points. Both Toledo and Trenton have played three more games than Peoria. The Storm improved to 20-7-5 at home this season.

Sunday, March 13, 2005 @ Wheeling Game #57 ECHL Game #830

Rivermen 5 Wheeling 2

The Peoria Rivermen conquered fairly uncharted territory on Sunday evening in Wheeling, W.Va., winning 5-2 in front of 3,001 at WesBanco Arena.

Coming into the game, the Rivermen were 2-6-1 when trailing after two periods, but they registered four third-period goals and five unanswered in all to snap a mild two-game losing skid.

The Rivermen tied the game 2-2 on a misplay in the slot in the Wheeling zone at 10:53 of the third. Ed Hill chipped the puck into the Nailers end and Wheeling defenseman Cliff Loya tried to glove it down in the high slot but lost an edge. Reggie Stringer was there to collect the puck, moved in on the Wheeling net and lifted a backhand chance into the upper left corner past Wheeling goaltender Andy Chiodo. It was Stringer's 16th tally of the season and his third goal in as many games.

Peoria took its first lead of the game just 1:30 later. Former Nailers rookie Jake Riddle beat Wheeling defenseman Randy Perry out of the left-wing corner and powered the puck to the low slot, where he beat Chiodo on a backhand chance inside the right goal post. It was Riddle's eighth tally for Peoria this season.

The Rivermen gave themselves a two-goal cushion with Wheeling on the power play with 1:59 left in the game. Chiodo miscommunicated with defenseman Ray DiLauro on a clearing attempt. Randy Rowe held the puck in and barreled down the right side of the slot with DiLauro all over him. Rowe connected with a backhand chance for his 17th marker of the season.

Peoria would add another shorthanded tally 39 seconds later with Wheeling's net empty; it was the 11th shorthanded goal by the Rivermen this season and the third game this year in which they tallied two. Tyler Rennette stole the puck along the left-wing boards in the Peoria end near the face-off circle, spun and rifled the puck down the ice into the Wheeling goal. It was Rennette's 16th marker of the season.

Peoria (30-20-7, 67 points) picked up its first win in four opportunities in Wheeling this season and improved to 2-3-1 in the season series. The Rivermen moved to within two games of .500 on the road with an 11-13-2 mark. Peoria had scored just five goals in its previous five contests against the Nailers this season. The Rivermen are five points behind the Toledo Storm for the fourth and final playoff spot in the North Division. Wheeling (35-21-4, 74 points) has lost two of its last three and dropped to 20-7-2 at home this year.

The Captain's Log

Pounding For Points... For The Playoffs

The Rivermen (30-20-7, 67 points) are five points out of the fourth and final playoff spot in the tightly-packed North Division and just seven points back of the first-place Wheeling Nailers (35-21-4, 74 points) and the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies (33-19-8, 74 points). Peoria is five points back of the archrival Toledo Storm (34-22-4, 72 points) with three games in hand and four points behind the Trenton Titans (31-19-9, 71 points) with two games in hand. The Rivermen will make up one of those games on Toledo on Tuesday on the road. Peoria has posted a 23-8-4 record (71 percent point-making percentage) in the 35 games following the Christmas Holiday. The Rivermen are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games.

Taking Away Tallies

After this Sunday's 5-2 win in Wheeling, Peoria has allowed two goals or less in 15 of the last 29 games. The Rivermen have not allowed more than three goals in 24 of their last 29 contests. On average, Peoria is allowing 2.49 goals per game, good for fourth in the ECHL.

Road Rest? That's Funny

The Rivermen are three games into their toughest road swing of the season with a 1-2-0 record after two games in Toledo (2-3 L, 03/11/05 & 1-6 L, 03/12/05) and one in Wheeling (5-2 W, 03/13/05) this past weekend. This week, Peoria concludes the stretch with four games in five nights, beginning with Tuesday's game in Reading, Pa. From there, the Rivermen move on to Johnstown, Pa., Atlantic City, NJ, and Wheeling again on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, respectively. Peoria is two games below the .500 mark through 26 road contests (11-13-2).

Reversing Records On The Road

Peoria stayed in line with recent history this season by beating the Trenton Titans last Tuesday at home 4-3 in a shootout to extend its record to 5-0-0 for the season series. But over the weekend on the road, the Rivermen reversed one good trend and turned around a bad one. This past Friday and Saturday, the Rivermen suffered their first losses in regulation in Toledo in five games (2-2-1) at the Toledo Sports Arena. This past Sunday, Peoria posted its first win in four chances (1-3-0) at WesBanco Arena this year.

Injury, Call-up & Transaction Report

· Rivermen defenseman Patrick Wellar has been activated from on the 7-day injured reserve, 03/11/05.

· Rivermen right wing Travis Rycroft has been activated from the 30-day injured reserve, 03/11/05.

· Rivermen left wing Jake Riddle has been activated from the 30-day injured reserve, 03/04/05.

· Defenseman Trevor Byrne and right wing Colin Hemingway remain on reassignment to the Worcester IceCats (AHL), 03/02/05.

· Rivermen left wing Kris Kasper remains on reassignment to the Worcester IceCats (AHL), 03/01/05.

· Rivermen left wing David Kaczowka has been suspended by the ECHL (two games), 02/16/05.

· Rivermen left wing David Kaczowka remains on reassignment to the Worcester IceCats (AHL), 02/14/05.

· Left wing Igor Valeev remains on reassignment from the Worcester IceCats (AHL), 02/10/05.

· Rivermen defenseman James Sanford remains on reassignment to the Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL), 01/03/05.

· Rivermen rookie center Troy Riddle remains on reassignment to the Worcester IceCats (AHL), 12/01/04.

· Forward Colin Hemingway remains on reassignment from the Worcester IceCats (AHL) by the St. Louis Blues (NHL), 11/03/04.

Steering Our Way Through The Schedule

GAMES:

· On Tuesday, March 15, the Rivermen travel to Reading, Pa., to face off against the Royals for the second time this season and the sixth of eight matchups this season. The teams will finish the season set on April 3 & 5 in Reading. In the most recent action, Peoria was victorious on February 25 & 26 at Carver Arena, winning 5-2 and 4-2, respectively, on two Brian McCullough game winners. The Rivermen lost their only meeting in Reading on November 16 by a 3-1 score. Peoria owns a 8-5-3 lifetime ECHL regular season record against the Royals. Reading (34-18-5, 73 points) sits in third place in the North Division, one point behind first-place Wheeling & Atlantic City and one point in front of Toledo (fourth place). The Royals are led by center Graig Mischler, who has 48 points (7g, 41a) in 45 games. The game broadcast can be heard LIVE on WWFS FOX Sports Radio 1290 AM and online at www.rivermen.net, beginning at 5:45 p.m. from the Sovereign Center. Game time is 6:00 p.m. CT.

· On Thursday, March 17, Peoria moves on Johnstown, Pa., to battle the rival Chiefs for the final time in its ECHL history. The Rivermen are 1-2-0 through three meetings at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena and are 2-2-1 on the season series. Peoria grabbed three points from the Chiefs on February 13 & 15 at Carver Arena, winning 7-1 and losing 3-2 in a shootout, respectively. The Rivermen own a 35-17-7 lifetime ECHL regular season record against Johnstown. The Chiefs (19-26-14, 52 points) are in seventh place in the North Division, 15 points behind the Rivermen. Johnstown is led by center Shawn Mather (19g, 24a) and left wing Jean Desrochers (16g, 27a), who have 43 points each. The game broadcast can be heard TAPE DELAY on WWFS FOX Sports Radio 1290 AM and LIVE online at www.rivermen.net, beginning at 5:45 p.m. from the Cambria County War Memorial Arena. Game time is 6:00 p.m. CT.

· On Friday, March 18, the Rivermen visit Historic Boardwalk Hall for the third of four meetings against the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies. Peoria owns a 5-1-0 record against the Boardwalk Bullies after 2-0 and 2-1 wins, respectively, on February 2 & 5. The Rivermen own a 9-2-3 lifetime ECHL regular season mark against the Boardwalk Bullies. Atlantic City (33-19-8, 74 points) is tied with the Wheeling Nailers (35-21-4, 74 points) for first place in the North Division, one point in front of Toledo. The Boardwalk Bullies are led by center Derek Edwardson, who has 55 points (21g, 34a) in 57 games. The game broadcast can be heard LIVE on WWFS FOX Sports Radio 1290 AM and online at www.rivermen.net, beginning at 5:45 p.m. from Boardwalk Hall. Game time is 6:00 p.m. CT.

· On Saturday, March 19, Peoria finishes its seven-game, nine-day road trip against the Wheeling Nailers with its last trip to WesBanco Arena. The Rivermen are 1-3-0 in Wheeling this season after a 5-2 win this past Sunday. Peoria is 2-3-1 against the Nailers this season. Wheeling (35-21-4, 74 points) is tied with the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies (33-19-8, 74 points) for first place in the North Division. The Nailers are led by defenseman Ray DiLauro, who has 47 points (11g, 36a) in 60 games. The game broadcast can be heard LIVE on WWFS FOX Sports Radio 1290 AM and online at www.rivermen.net, beginning at 6:15 p.m. from Boardwalk Hall. Game time is 6:30 p.m. CT.

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