Rivermen Shut Out San Diego 3-0 at Home
January 29, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release
Peoria, Ill - The Peoria Rivermen used a stifling defense to shut down and shut out the visiting the San Diego Gulls and the ECHL's second-best offensive club 3-0 before 4,645 on Friday night at Carver Arena.
The Rivermen entered the game with the ECHL's fourth-best defense, allowing just 2.49 tallies per contest.
Peoria outshot the Gulls 21-2 in the opening session, 15-8 in the second and 15-2 in the final stanza for a season-high 51. San Diego's two shots in the first was a new low allowed by the Rivermen this season.
Veteran Alfie Michaud (10-7-2) posted his second shutout in five games and on the year and the 12th of his career, stopping all 12 shots he faced.
The Rivermen collected their second goal of the game with 8:43 left in regulation. With goaltender Eddie Ferhi caught out of the net, Russ Guzior stepped into a Jake Riddle pass in the high slot and slapped his first goal in a Rivermen uniform into the open goal. It was Guzior's second tally of the season.
Peoria completed the scoring on the power play with 5:07 left in the game. Guzior fed Rivermen Captain Trevor Baker, who was breaking to the net down right side of the slot, for a redirection just off the right goal post. It was Baker's eighth tally of the season in his first game back from injury since January 8.
Baker and Guzior led all scorers with a goal and an assist each. Chad Starling, playing in his first game since December 10 because of high-ankle sprain, also had an assist on the Baker goal.
The Rivermen were 1-for-7 on the power play and held the Gulls scoreless in three chances. Peoria has killed off the last 26 consecutive opposition power plays.
Peoria (17-15-4, 38 points), who is two games above .500 on the season and has won 10 of its last 13 contests, has won a season-best five in a row overall and a season-best seven straight at Carver Arena. The Rivermen, who are tied with the Johnstown Chiefs for sixth place in the North Division with a game in hand, improved to 15-2-1 when scoring three or more goals in a contest this season. San Diego (21-13-4, 46 points) has lost two straight and dropped to 7-9-2 on the road this year.
Ferhi, who replaced injured former Rivermen Mathieu Chouinard just 38 seconds into the third session, stopped 13 of 15 shots in relief. Chouinard (6-5-1) turned away 35 of 36 shots in the loss.
Peoria opened the scoring on its 19th shot of the first period. Rookie Aaron Forsythe wristed a puck toward the San Diego net from the left point that made its way inside the left post past a screened Chouinard. It was Forsythe's first professional goal and proved to be the game winner.
In the past two games, first professional goals have proven to be the game-winning tallies for the Rivermen. Rookie Patrick Wellar collected his first professional goal last Sunday in a 3-1 win over the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies.
The Rivermen outshot the Gulls 21-2 in the opening session with Chouinard making several point-blank stops. Peoria was robbed of a goal at 10:40 of the first period. Reggie Stringer's shot from the bottom of the left face-off circle popped the water bottle off the top of the goal but the referee Sean Reid ruled it was not a tally.
The Rivermen welcome the archrival Toledo Storm to Carver Arena tomorrow night - Saturday, January 28 - at 8:00 p.m. The first 2,500 will receive a CD Holder, courtesy of Caterpillar. It is also a Kaufman Wellness Center Night. Fans may receive a free spinal check and back massage for a donation to the Children's Hospital of Illinois.
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