ECHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen open with 5-2 win over Dayton before record crowd

Published on October 25, 2004 under ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Friday, October 22, 2004 vs. Dayton Game #1 ECHL Game #11

Rivermen 5 Dayton 2

The Peoria Rivermen scored five unanswered goals, including four in the third period, to beat the archrival Dayton Bombers 5-2 on Friday in front of a Peoria ECHL-record, home-opening crowd of 7,593 at Carver Arena.

Three-time ECHL All-Star Brian McCullough opened the third-period scoring just 53 seconds into the action. McCullough, who signed just yesterday after leaving the German Second Division, took a pass from Igor Valeev in the high slot after racing off the bench, did a 180 and slid a low shot inside the right post past a screened Andrew Penner.

The Rivermen took their first lead of the night at 5:08 on the power play with McCullough setting up Valeev this time. McCullough worked into the zone down the middle of the ice, held on to the puck after faking a shot and maneuvered to the left side of the goal. McCullough snapped a cross-ice pass to Valeev in the right face-off circle for a one-time slap shot tally. Valeev earned First Star honors with a goal and two assists.

Peoria pushed its lead to 4-2 at 12:37 of the final session. Rookie left wing Kris Kasper muscled the puck free behind the Dayton goal and fed Trevor Baker at the right side of the net for a one-touch tap-in between Penner's left pad and the post.

The Rivermen completed the scoring with 1:57 left in regulation. Kasper brought the puck down the left wing to the top of the face-off circle, where he wristed the puck through the legs of an unscreened Penner for his first professional tally.

The Rivermen (1-0-0) improved to 4-3-2 in ECHL home openers with the victory. Rivermen Head Coach Jason Christie is 13 wins away from tying Pat Kelly's Rivermen International Hockey League (IHL)/ECHL All-Time Wins Record (Regular Season and Playoffs) at 209. The Bombers (0-1-0) dropped their first game under new local ownership and new Head Coach Don MacAdam.

The Captain's Log

Here's To Home Hockey

The Rivermen opened their ninth season in the ECHL in resounding fashion, defeating the archrival Dayton Bombers 5-2 on the strength of four third-period goals and drawing 7,593 fans (the largest crowd for a home opener in the 23-year history of Peoria professional hockey). With the victory, Peoria improved to 4-3-2 in ECHL home openers and 9-12-2 in International Hockey League (IHL)/ECHL home openers. Last season, the Rivermen lost to Toledo 2-1 in overtime despite out-shooting them 53-29. The Rivermen finished the 2003-2004 regular season with a 22-11-3 home record. The Rivermen have posted 20 or more wins at home in each of their eight ECHL seasons. Last season was the first time in their ECHL tenure that the Rivermen have lost more than nine games in regulation in one season at Carver Arena. With Friday night's win, Peoria owns a 198-57-30 lifetime regular season ECHL record (75 percent point percentage) at Carver Arena.

Catching 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.

McCullough Making It Happen Already

Three days removed from travel that brought him back from Europe, three-time (2001, 2003 & 2004) ECHL All-Star Brian McCullough was right in the thick of guiding the Rivermen to a 5-2 victory in their home opener last Friday over Dayton. McCullough tallied the game-tying goal just 53 seconds into the third period and then set up Igor Valeev for the game winner on a power play later in the session. He opened the 2004-2005 season in the 2.Bundesliga (German Second Division) with the ESC Moskitos Essen, notching four points (1g, 3a) in eight games. Last year, he registered the first 40-goal season of his career with the Florida Everblades, while leading the team in games played (T-72), goals, game-winning goals (11), power play goals (11), assists (47), points (87) and power play points (28). He led the ECHL in game-winning goals, was second in goal scoring behind San Diego's Mark Pederson and was third in points. He was also named All ECHL Second Team in 2004.

Not A Bad Start Against The North

The Rivermen opened North Division play and their nine-game season series with the Dayton Bombers last Friday night, winning the first of five meetings at Carver Arena 5-2. The teams will battle four times at the Nutter Center in Fairborn, Ohio. Peoria, 7-3-1 last season against Dayton, owns a 47-25-9 regular season lifetime ECHL record against them. The Rivermen play 60 of their 72 regular season games against their seven North Division counterparts.

Victorious Valeev

Fourth-year left wing Igor Valeev led all Rivermen players over the weekend with three points (1g, 2a) in the team's 5-2 home-opening victory over the archrival Dayton Bombers. The 23-year-old native of Snezhensk, Russia, set up the game-tying goal, scored the game winner on the power play and was +2. Last season, he posted 13 points (5g, 8a) and 33 PIM with a +8 plus/minus in 11 games over two reassignments with the Rivermen during regular season. In 31 games with Worcester in 2003-2004, he tallied four points (1g, 3a) and 68 PIM.

Mighty Michaud

Sixth-year professional Alfie Michaud, 2003 ECHL Goaltender of the Year and All ECHL First Team, allowed just two goals on 33 shots in his return to the Rivermen net last Friday night in a 5-2 win over Dayton. Last season, he posted an 11-7-2 record with a 2.38 goals against average (GAA), a .908 save percentage and one shutout for the Nürnberg Ice Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL – German Elite League).

– more –

Injury, Call-up & Transaction Report

· Defenseman Trevor Johnson claimed off waivers from the Trenton Titans, 10/22/04.

· Rivermen right wing Joe Pereira has been placed on the 7-day injured reserve, 10/21/04.

· Left wing Brian McCullough has been signed and added to the roster, 10/21/04.

· Defenseman James Sanford has been reassigned from Atlantic City by Montreal (NHL) in exchange for forward Jason Notermann, 10/21/04.

· Ken Goetz, Jon Howse, Kevin Tucker, Greg Goodnough and goaltender Olivier Bercial have been released, 10/21/04.

· Defenseman Bryce Charpentier has been claimed off waivers from the Toledo Storm, 10/20/04.

· Defenseman Dan Rohanna has been claimed off waivers from the Toledo Storm, 10/18/04.

Steering Our Way Through The Schedule

PRACTICE:

· The Rivermen will practice Monday, October 25 through Thursday, October 28 at Owens Center. Monday-Wednesday practice will be at 10:00 a.m., and Thursday practice will be at 9:00 a.m. The team will depart after practice Thursday for Toledo, Ohio. Practice times are subject to change.

GAMES:

· On Friday, October 29, the Rivermen travel to Toledo, Ohio to battle the archrival Storm in the first of 11 meetings on the year and the first of six meetings at the Toledo Sports Arena. Last year, Peoria went undefeated in regulation at 10-0-2 in 12 regular season meetings. The Rivermen own a 54-22-5 lifetime ECHL record in the regular season against the Storm. Toledo (2-0-0, 4 points) is tied for first place with the Trenton Titans after the season's opening weekend, registering a 1-0 shutout win over Wheeling at home on Friday and doubling up Dayton at home 6-3 on Saturday. The Storm are led by centers Maris Ziedens (2g, 1a) and Pierre-Luc Sleigher (1g, 2a), and left wings Sam Paolini (1g, 2a) and Nick Parillo (3a), who all have three points apiece. The game broadcast can be heard LIVE on WWFS FOX Sports Radio 1290 AM and online at www.rivermen.net, beginning at 6:20 p.m. from the Toledo Sports Arena. Game time is 6:30 p.m. CT.

· On Saturday, October 30, Peoria hosts the Dayton Bombers in its second home game of the 2004-2005 season. It is the second of 11 meetings between the clubs this season and the second of five at Carver Arena. The Rivermen were victorious over the Bombers in their home opener last Friday, winning 5-2 on the strength of four third-period goals. Peoria, 7-3-1 last season against the Bombers, owns a 47-25-9 lifetime ECHL regular season record against them. Dayton (1-2-0, 2 points) is tied for fourth place in the North Division with the Rivermen and the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies. The Bombers are led by defenseman Grady Moore, who has four assists. 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. CT.

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