Rivermen Ride High with 5-1 Victory over Storm
Published on February 23, 2025 under SPHL (SPHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release
PEORIA, IL - In a Sunday afternoon contest that would decide the winner of the weekend series between Peoria and Quad City, the Rivermen defeated the Storm 5-1 at Carver Arena to secure their second win in three games.
Peoria struck early in the first 93 seconds of the game as Alec Baer picked up the puck at the base of the left-wing circle and cut across the low slot. Waiting for the netminder to go down, Baer stuffed the puck around the pad of Roni Salmenkangas to give the Rivermen a 1-0 lead. Just over a minute later, while on the power play, Zach Wilkie launched a hard wrist shot on the net from the high slot. Wilkie's shot sailed into the net with traffic in front to extend Peoria's lead to 2-0. Peoria killed off a double-minor high-sticking call midway through the period and had more scoring chances while short-handed than the Storm did on the power play.
Alec Baer extended the Rivermen lead in the second period as he took the puck to the net on the power play and tried to out-deke Salmenkangas. Baer's shot it the post but deflected back off his foot and into the net. Baer's second of the game extended Peoria's lead to 3-0. The remainder of the period was marked by high energy and lots of animosity as fights and scrums broke out between the two rivals late.
Early in the third period, JM Piotrowski stepped into the offensive zone along the right-wing boards and spied Carson Baptiste skating into the slot. Piotrowski sent a quick pass to Baptiste who then proceeded to backhand a shot into the net to extend Peoria's lead to 4-0. Though Quad City scored on the power play a few minutes later, the Rivermen had the last laugh with Garrett Devine's empty-net goal in the waning minutes of regulation to put the Rivermen up 5-1.
Peoria earned their second straight win at home and second in three games against the Storm. The Rivermen, now in a tie for first place in the SPHL with the Huntsville Havoc, will welcome the Knoxville Ice Bears to Carver Arena on Friday and Saturday, February 28 and March 1 next weekend.
SPHL Stories from February 23, 2025
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- Mayhem Trade Ishizuka to Ice Bears - Macon Mayhem
- Game Preview: February 23 vs Evansville - Pensacola Ice Flyers
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