Rivermen "Special" at Home in 3-1 Win over Atlantic City
Published on January 23, 2005 under ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release
Peoria, Ill. (January 23, 2005) â The Peoria Rivermen netted three power play goals in a contest for the first time this season and killed off all eight Atlantic City power play chances in a 3-1 win over Boardwalk Bullies in front of 3,962 on Sunday afternoon at Carver Arena.
Peoria has scored seven power play goals in its last three contests, improving to 16.2 percent with the man advantage on the year. The Rivermen have killed off 23 straight opposition power plays with their penalty-killing performance on the afternoon. They are killing penalties at an 86.5 efficiency clip.
Peoria (16-15-4, 36 points) has moved above the .500 mark for the first time since November 6, when they improved to 2-1-2 after a 6-3 home win over the Boardwalk Bullies. The Rivermen have won four in a row overall and a season-best six straight on Carver Arena ice; Peoria improved to 10-5-2 on home ice this season. The Rivermen are 14-2-1 when scoring three or more goals in a game this season. Atlantic City (21-11-5, 47 points) has dropped two in a row and five of its last six contests. The Boardwalk Bullies are 1-6-1 in their last eight games.
Rivermen goaltender Alfie Michaud (9-7-2) stopped 29 of 30 Atlantic City shots in the victory. Atlantic City's Jake Moreland turned away all 20 chances he faced after replacing back-up Tyler MacKay (0-2-0), who had started just his second game of the season, just 2:55 into the middle stanza.
The Rivermen opened the scoring at 9:18 of the first period on the power play. Brian McCullough jumped up and gloved down an Atlantic City clearing attempt at the top of the left face-off circle. McCullough then pushed the puck to the bottom of the face-off circle, feeding rookie Jake Riddle, who slipped the puck around MacKay and inside the left goal post. It was Riddle's fourth tally of the season.
Peoria made it 2-0 with their second power play marker of the game with just 2:17 left in the first. Rookie Patrick Wellar took a pass from Chris Bogas at the left point, maneuvered down the left side of the zone and in behind the Boardwalk Bullies net. Wellar came out just off the right goal post with no open passing lane, deciding to shoot and trickling a low wrist shot through the pads of MacKay. It was Wellar's first professional goal.
Veteran newcomer Russ Guzior also assisted on the play, registering his first point in a Rivermen uniform since his acquisition earlier this week.
The Rivermen pushed their lead to 3-0 with their third man advantage marker of the contest at 2:52 of the second. Reggie Stringer fed Chris Bogas in the high slot for a rifle shot into the upper right corner pasted a screened Moreland.
Atlantic City got on the board just after a 4-on-4 situation expired with 1:21 left in the second. Kelsey Muench came racing out of the penalty box into the Peoria zone down the right side of the slot and roofed a Brett Nowak pass over the glove of Michaud. It was his fourth tally of the season.
The Rivermen host the West Division's San Diego Gulls on Friday, January 28 at 7:30 p.m. at Carver Arena in the fifth of six in a row on home ice.
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