ECHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Pound Johnstown 7-1 at Home

Published on February 13, 2005 under ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Peoria, Ill. (February 13, 2005) – The Peoria Rivermen rebounded from a mild two-game winless skid (0-1-1) with a resounding 7-1 walloping of the rival Johnstown Chiefs before 4,122 on Sunday afternoon at Carver Arena.

Heading into the game, the Rivermen managed just one point against the last-place team in the North Division – the Dayton Bombers – the previous two nights.

Peoria killed two Johnstown power plays in the third period and seven total for the second straight game. The Rivermen have killed off 58 opposition power plays in a row for a continuing 23-year Peoria professional record.

The Rivermen (22-17-5, 49 points) are 8-1-1 in their last 10 home games, improving to 12-6-3 at Carver Arena in the first of a 23-year franchise record 11 straight at home. Peoria picked up its second win in four chances (2-2-0) against the Chiefs this season. The Rivermen, who are just six points out of the fourth and final playoff spot and nine out of first place, netted seven goals in a game for the first time this season. Johnstown (15-18-11, 41 points) has lost four in a row and is winless in its last six games (0-5-1). The Chiefs are 2-10-2 in their last 14 contests.

Rivermen goaltender Alfie Michaud (15-8-3) stopped 33 of 34 chances, starting the ninth of the team's last 10 games. Johnstown's David Cann turned away nine of 11 shots in relief of starter David Currie (10-12-7), who was pulled 6:47 into the second period after allowing five goals on 21 shots.

The Chiefs opened the scoring just 2:33 into the game with Peoria on the power play. Shawn Mather fought off Rivermen defenseman Trevor Byrne for the puck behind the Peoria net after a dump-in and sent back to the point for the veteran Brent Bilodeau. Bilodeau sent a low shot on net that was tipped through the legs of Michaud by Mather, who had darted to the front of the goal after sending it to the point. It was Mather's 17th marker of the season.

The last three goals Peoria has surrendered have been shorthanded tallies. The Rivermen have given up eight shorthanded goals this season.

The Rivermen tied the game at 6:56 of the first. Chris Bogas took a pass from Russ Guzior at the right point and wristed a shot toward the goal that rookie Justin Maiser, who was at the right side of the low slot with Kris Kasper, deflected the puck inside the left goal post past Currie. It was Maiser's 11th goal of the year.

Peoria took its first lead of the afternoon at 12:23 of the opening stanza and it would not look back. Brian McCullough broke into the Johnstown zone on right wing on a two-on-one with Tyler Rennette. McCullough got to the bottom of the slot and decided to stuff the puck through the legs of Currie after Currie anticipated he was going to pass to Rennette and opened his pads up. It was McCullough's team-leading 20th goal of the season and his first in seven games. It proved to be his team-leading fifth game-winning tally of the season.

The Rivermen made it 3-1 just 1:24 later on the power play. Ed Hill rifled a low shot on net from the high slot that Tyler Rennette, parked at the top of the goal crease, tipped inside the left goal post. It was Rennette's 13th marker of the year.

Peoria pushed its lead to 4-1 at 5:11 of the second period with Johnstown on the power play. Colin Hemingway broke up a cross-ice Johnstown feed in the neutral zone and worked into the Johnstown zone on left wing with Kris Kasper on the opposite side of the ice. Kasper got to the top of the right face-off circle and fed Hemingway at the left side of the slot for a low one-timer inside the right goal post. It was Hemingway's first goal in seven games since returning from sports hernia surgery on February 1. It was Peoria's first of two shorthanded goals in the period.

The Rivermen netted their second power play goal of the game just 1:36 later for a 5-1 lead. Veteran Reggie Stringer was hovering just off the right goal post, collecting a Randy Rowe rebound for an east tap-in and his first goal in 10 games. It was his 11th marker of the season. The goal chased Currie from the net.

Peoria grabbed a 6-1 advantage at 11:09 of the second. Hill fed Hemingway, who had a burst of speed, into the Johnstown zone on left wing for a wrist shot from the left circle that squeaked through the legs of Cann. It was his second tally of the period and fifth in a Rivermen uniform this season.

It became a 7-1 Rivermen lead with 45 seconds left in the period with Johnstown on the power play. After Rennette chased down a loose puck at the top of the right face-off circle, he fed McCullough at the right side of the top of the goal crease. McCullough was initially stopped by Cann but stuck with the puck to wrap the rebound in behind Cann for his 21st tally of the year. It was Peoria's second shorthanded goal in the session and eighth of the year.

The Rivermen and the Chiefs battle again on Tuesday evening. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Carver Arena.

Check out the Peoria Rivermen Statistics

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