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ECHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Prevail in Overtime, Beating Atlantic City 4-3 at Home

January 2, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Peoria, Ill. (January 2, 2004) – It took five opportunities and 31 games, but the Peoria Rivermen prevailed in overtime, beating the defending Kelly Cup Champion Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies 4-3 in front of 5,288 on Friday night at Carver Arena.

The Rivermen, who lost 3-2 in overtime last night to Atlantic City, was 0-4 in overtime decisions coming into the game.

The overtime winner came 1:06 into the extra session. Adam Edinger won his own face-off in the left circle and took a quick low shot that Atlantic City's Scott Stirling stopped, but the rebound came right to newcomer Marty Johnston. Johnston, with a defenseman draped all over him, shoveled his first goal as a Rivermen through the legs of Stirling with one hand on his stick. It was Johnston's fifth goal of the season.

Johnston, who set up the team's second power play goal of the night, was acquired on New Year's Eve from the Long Beach Ice Dogs for center Alex Kim and defenseman Trevor Read.

The Rivermen looked like they were going to win the game in regulation. Rookie newcomer Scott Turner, who was signed out of the University of Nebraska-Omaha on December 26, tipped an Edinger pass just inside the left post for his first professional goal. Edinger snapped a pass toward the goal as Turner was darting through the slot.

The Boardwalk Bullies tied it, though, with just 16 seconds remaining in regulation. With Stirling pulled for the extra attacker, Pierre-Luc Sleigher fired a shot from the center point that was tipped past Peoria goaltender Levente Szuper and into the goal. It was Fahey's fifth of the season and third in the last two games against the Rivermen.

Peoria (16-8-7, 39 points) improved to 7-5-3 on home ice and 1-0-1 against the Boardwalk Bullies this year. The Rivermen are tied with the Reading Royals (17-9-5, 39 points) for third place in the Northern Division. Atlantic City (20-9-1, 41 points) – who had its team, season-high six-game winning streak snapped – was saddled with its first non-regulation decision of the season; the Boardwalk Bullies were the only ECHL team that had not posted a non-regulation decision entering the game. Atlantic City dropped to 8-6-1 on the road. Atlantic City is three points behind the Wheeling Nailers for first place in the Division with two games in hand.

Szuper turned away 27 of 30 shots in his fifth straight win (5-3-1) and his third in a row since returning from reassignment from Worcester (AHL). Stirling turned away 28 of 32 in relief of Jake Moreland to fall to 17-7-1 on the season.

Stirling, who did not start because of the flu, replaced rookie Moreland just one minute into the second period. Moreland was cut on the chin by the skate of Baker after Baker – who was barreling toward the Atlantic City goal – was upended by Fahey and throw into Moreland and the Boardwalk Bullies goal.

After a scoreless first period, Peoria took a 1-0 lead with the first of two power play goals in the second session. Defenseman Joe Vandermeer took a pass from Scott Crawford at the center point and rifled his first goal of the season just under the crossbar. Vandermeer, who entered the game with 11 assists, was 0-for-80 in shooting before finally connecting at 3:52.

The Boardwalk Bullies tied it 1-1 just 2:06 later. Defenseman Dave Reid fired a shot toward the Peoria goal from the right point. Szuper made the left pad leg stop on the shot, but the rebound was batted out of mid-air by John Longo, who tallied his second goal in as many nights and fourth of the season from just off the right post.

The Rivermen took a 2-1 lead on their fifth power play of the game. Johnston took a pass from Scott Crawford at the top of the left face-off circle and looked like he directed it over the right shoulder of Stirling. But Captain Trevor Baker was ruled to have tipped it in, earning his ninth goal of the season and fourth in as many games.

Atlantic City tied 2-2 on the power play with just less than five minutes remaining in regulation. Sleigher slapped a low shot toward the Peoria goal that Szuper threw his stick at and deflected up into the net. It was Sleigher's sixth of the season, coming at 15:04.

Tomorrow night – Saturday, January 3 – the Rivermen open a home-and-home set with the archrival Toledo Storm on the road. Game time is 6:30 p.m. CT at the Toledo Sports Arena.

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