Rivermen Pile on Late, Beat IceGators 6-2 Sunday
February 14, 2016 - SPHL (SPHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release
Peoria, IL - The Peoria Rivermen took an early lead and never trailed as they beat the Louisiana IceGators 6-2 at Carver Arena Sunday. The win snaps a brief two-game Rivermen losing streak and improves Peoria's league-best point total to 59, 11 points ahead of the rest of the SPHL.
The Rivermen took their first lead of the weekend at 3:00 of the first period while on the power play. After a roughing call against Mike Kavanagh gave Peoria the man advantage the Rivermen set to Chris Wilson at the bottom of the right circle and he wound up and fired a slap shot past IceGators goaltender Adam Courchaine to put the Rivermen on top 1-0. The IceGators evened the score at 9:58 of the first when Jake Hauswirth entered the Peoria zone and dropped off in the top of the slot for Zac Frischmon who beat Rivermen goaltender Kyle Rank blocker side around a screen to make it 1-1.
Peoria re-took the lead at 1:26 of the second period when Ben Power cruised into the left wing of the Louisiana zone and centered a bouncing puck to Walker Wintoneak, who settled it down and put it to Adam Stuart on the post where he flipped it over Courchaine to make it 2-1 Rivermen. Peoria pushed their lead to 3-1 at 8:21 of the second period after Matt Summers skated from behind the IceGators net to the right corner, where he made an inside turn and sent a pass to Rivermen captain Dan Bremner at the top of the crease where he converted past Courchaine. The IceGators trimmed the Peoria lead to 3-2 at 16:40 of the second when Blake Hietala came away with a breakaway and beat Rank to pull the Gators within one.
The Rivermen extended their lead at 2:38 of the third when Mark Corbett sent a pass from the left point to a streaking Chris Wilson, who crossed through the slot and fired past Courchaine to make it 4-2. The Peoria lead swelled just 26 seconds later when Stuart stole the puck away from Louisiana in the left corner of the IceGators zone, walked down the goal line, and beat Courchaine from point-blank range to make it 5-2. The Rivermen continued piling on at 6:48 of the third when Connor Toomey walked into the slot and ripped a wrist shot past new IceGators goalie Andy DiCristofaro to make it 6-2.
Rank stopped 28 of 30 shots faced in goal to earn the victory. The win is Rank's first since January 29 at home against Fayetteville, a string of four appearances in which he went 0-1-1.
Notes: Wilson's two goals extended his point-scoring streak to seven games, giving him eight goals and four assists in his last seven contests...Stuart's pair of goals give him his second multi-point performance over his last three games, and represent his second multi-goal game and 12th multi-point performance of the year...Toomey recorded a goal and an assist for his 10th multi-point game of the season and his first since he recorded three assists February 4 in Macon...The Rivermen return to action at home February 26 when they play host to the Knoxville Ice Bears with a 7:05 start...The broadcast of the game can be heard, starting with the pregame show, at 6:45 at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/rivermen
Game and season tickets for Peoria's 34th season of professional hockey are on sale at the Toyota Box Office in the Peoria Civic Center, or by phone at the Rivermen office, located at 201 S.W. Jefferson Street, or over the phone at (309) 676-1040.Â
SPHL Stories from February 14, 2016
- Rivermen Bounce Back to Beat IceGators - Louisiana IceGators
- Mayhem Lose to Havoc - Macon Mayhem
- Rivermen Pile on Late, Beat IceGators 6-2 Sunday - Peoria Rivermen
- RiverKings Pepper Jaeger, Fall 3-2 in Columbus - Mississippi RiverKings
- Rivermen Game Notes vs Louisiana - Peoria Rivermen
- IceGators Win Again over Rivermen - Louisiana IceGators
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