ECHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Undefeated in Regulation Streak Ends at Five

December 8, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


THE RECAP:

Friday, December 5, 2003 @ Johnstown Game #18 ECHL Game #301

Rivermen 2 Johnstown 3 Overtime

The third time in overtime was not a charm for the Peoria Rivermen, as they let a 2-0 lead slip away and lost 3-2 to the Johnstown Chiefs in front of 1,506 on a snowy Friday night at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena.

Peoria is 0-3 in games decided in 4-on-4 overtime play – losing tonight, on November 7 at home to Reading 2-1 and on October 18 to Toledo 2-1 in the Rivermen home opener.

The Rivermen let a lead slip away on Saturday in Toledo, relinquishing a 4-1 second period advantage before losing 5-4 in a shootout.

Johnstown netted the winner with the man advantage with 37 seconds remaining in overtime. Dominic Forget took a pass at the right face-off circle from Steve Hildenbrand and rifled his seventh of the season by Peoria goaltender Mike Valley. Hildenbrand led all scorers with three points (1g, 2a) in the game.

Randy Rowe was tagged with a double minor for high sticking at 1:24 of overtime by referee Ryan Fraser to give Johnstown the power play.

The Chiefs finished the night 2-for-10 with the man advantage, while the Rivermen were 0-for-5.

Johnstown tied the game 2-2 with a 5-on-3 power play goal midway through the third period. Jay Langager, who was stationed at the center point, fed Pierre-Luc Courchesne at the right circle for a rocket, one-time shot that made its way past Valley at 9:28.

The Chiefs got within one at 5:42 of the third, cutting the Peoria lead to 2-1. Hildenbrand took a pass from Dan Growden and maneuvered into the Peoria zone on right wing. When he got to the face-off circle, he snapped a cross-ice feed to Dmitri Tarabrin at the left face-off circle. Tarabrin returned Hildenbrand's quick pass with a quick cross-ice pass of his own, and Hildenbrand sent his seventh of the season into an open net, as Mike Valley was still at the opposite post.

Rowe gave the Rivermen a 2-0 advantage early in the third period but not without some help from the goal judge. All-Star Tyler Rennette rifled a slap shot at the Johnstown net from the slot but was stopped by goaltender Cory Campbell. The rebound popped to the left face-off circle, where Rivermen Captain Trevor Baker handed the puck off to Rowe for a bullet shot just under the crossbar that Fraser waved off but the goal judge counted.

Peoria (9-5-4, 22 points) earned one point for the overtime loss. The Rivermen dropped to 5-2-2 on the road but remained unbeaten in regulation in their last six (4-0-2) away from Carver Arena. Johnstown (14-5-1, 29 points) remains in first place in the nine-team Northern Division. The Chiefs are 7-1-0 in their last eight home games and own a Northern Division-best 10-2-0 mark at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena.

Saturday, December 6, 2003 @ Johnstown Game #19 ECHL Game #311

Rivermen 4 Johnstown 3 Shootout

An early 2-0 Peoria Rivermen lead looked like another ominous sign on Saturday at the Cambria Country War Memorial Arena, but after giving up the lead and trailing heading into the third period, the Rivermen tied it in the third and eventually won 4-3 in a shootout over the rival Johnstown Chiefs before a crowd of 2,174.

Peoria gave up a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 in overtime last night to the Chiefs, and last Saturday, the Rivermen held a 4-1 lead late in the second period only to fall 5-4 in a shootout in Toledo.

In this night's shootout, Adam Edinger tallied the winner in the first round, beating Johnstown's Cory Campbell stick side. In the third round, Alex Kim added the insurance tally with a quick wrist shot from the left face-off circle.

Mike Valley stopped all four Johnstown shootout opportunities and 24 of 27 in regulation and overtime for his sixth victory of the season (6-1-2). Campbell stopped 23 of 26 in regulation and two of four in the shootout in his first non-win in six opportunities (5-0-1).

The Rivermen, who lost on a power play goal in overtime last night to Johnstown, had an opportunity with the man advantage in extra time but could not score. Peoria was 0-for-6 on the power play and has one goal in its last 31 chances (a span of eight games). The Chiefs finished 0-for-4 on the power play.

Peoria came back to tie it at 8:25 of the third. After a flurry of shots by Trevor Baker and Brendan Brooks from in close, Baker corralled the puck behind the Johnstown goal and sent it out front to Brooks for a one-time slap shot tally – his eighth of the season.

Peoria (10-5-4, 24 points) picked up its 10th win of the season and sixth on the road (6-2-2). The Rivermen, who are undefeated in regulation in their last five games (3-0-2), improved to 9-3-4 against the Northern Division and 7-2-3 through 12 of 26 straight Northern Division matchups. Johnstown (14-5-2, 30 points) registered just its third non-win on home ice in 13 opportunities (10-2-1).

Sunday, December 7, 2003 vs. Cincinnati Game #20 ECHL Game #324

Rivermen 1 Cincinnati 3

An 11-hour bus ride and continuing power play troubles equaled a 3-1 defeat for the Peoria Rivermen at the hands of the Cincinnati Cyclones on Sunday evening before 4,243 at Carver Arena.

The Rivermen traveled some 636 miles back from a two-game set on Friday and Saturday in Johnstown, Pa., earning three of a possible four points.

The power play continued to struggle for the Rivermen, as they went 0-for-5 in the loss. Over the last nine games, beginning with a 2-1 win in Dayton on November 16, the Rivermen are now 1-for-36 on the power play. Coming into the game, Peoria was 11-for-90 (12.2 percent) on the power play for the season.

Terry Marchant sealed the win with an empty-net tally with 51 seconds remaining in regulation. Peoria's Tyler Rennette was circling back at the Rivermen blue line and Marchant knocked down Rennette's pass attempt and slid the puck into the open goal from the high slot.

Peoria (10-6-4, 24 points), now 4-2-0 against Cincinnati on the season, remains in fifth place in the Northern Division but dropped to .500 at home with a 4-4-2 record. The Rivermen, who had been unbeaten in regulation in their last five games (3-0-2), fell to 7-3-3 through 13 games of 26 straight against Northern Division opponents. Cincinnati (11-11-1, 23 points) moved to .500 on the year and improved to 5-5-0 on the road.

The Captain's Log

Looking To Grab Points & Position With Our Games In Hand

The Rivermen are in fifth place in the highly-competitive, nine-team Northern Division – one point in front of the Cincinnati Cyclones (11-11-1) with three games in hand. Peoria is three points behind the Reading Royals (12-7-3, 27 points) for fourth place with two games in hand and is just four points back of the second place and defending Kelly Cup Champion Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies (14-9-0, 28 points) with three games in hand.

Nothing But A Long Haul Against The North

Peoria is 7-3-3 through 13 games of 26 straight against Northern Division opponents and own a 9-4-4 mark for the season against the Northern Division. The Rivermen do not play outside their division until January 9-10, when they face off against the Las Vegas Wranglers, one of three Pacific Division opponents they take on this season. Peoria took on the Johnstown Chiefs in two road matchups this past Friday and Saturday, dropping the first game 3-2 in overtime before winning 4-3 in a shootout in the second game. The Rivermen, 6-1-1 against the Chiefs last season, own a 30-12-6 lifetime ECHL record against them. On Sunday at home, Peoria battled the Cincinnati Cyclones for the fifth time in 11 games, dropping a 3-1 decision. The Rivermen are 4-2-0 through six games of a season-high 13 meetings between the clubs. Peoria owns 29-11-2 lifetime ECHL record against the Cyclones. The Rivermen play 65 of 72 regular season games against Northern Division opponents – half of which come against close geographic rivals Cincinnati (13), Toledo (12) and Dayton (11).

Road Rollicking

The Rivermen are undefeated in regulation in their last seven road games (5-0-2). Peoria has the best road point percentage (70 percent) of any Northern Division team with a 6-2-2 record. They are tied for the most road wins (6) and own the fewest road losses (2) in the Division.

.500 Is Failing In Our House

After a two-game win spurt on home ice during Thanksgiving Week, the Rivermen returned to their troubled play on Carver Arena ice on Sunday in a 3-1 loss to Cincinnati, dropping to .500 (4-4-2) after 10 games. Over its six losses at home, two of which have come in overtime, Peoria is averaging .833 goals per game. For the entire season, the Rivermen are averaging just 2.17 goals per game on home ice. Peoria owns a 179-50-29 lifetime ECHL home record (75 percent point percentage) 10 games into their eighth ECHL season. Last season, the Rivermen posted a 26-5-5 home mark with the second fewest home losses in one season in ECHL franchise history. Peoria notched a 27-4-4 record at home in its first ECHL season (1996-1997).

Girded By Our Goaltending & Goals Against

Over the last 11 games, the Rivermen have held the opposition to three goals or less in 10 of them; they have kept opponents to two goals or less in six of those games with two shutouts. Peoria ranks eighth in the 31-team ECHL with a 2.60 goals against average. After the first seven games this year, the Rivermen had allowed an average of 3.14 goals per game. Last season, Peoria ranked first in the ECHL with a 2.51 goals against average. Goaltender Mike Valley is undefeated in regulation in his last five starts (4-0-1) with 1.94 goals against average (GAA) and a .921 save percentage. On the year in 10 appearances, he owns a 6-1-2 record with a 1.95 GAA and a .925 save percentage. In five starts for the Rivermen, rookie goaltender Daniel Boisclair is 2-2-1 with a 1.78 GAA and a .944 save percentage. Combined, Valley and Boisclair are 8-3-3 with a 1.89 GAA and a .933 save percentage for the season.

Power Play Poisoned

After an 0-for-16 weekend on the power play, the Rivermen are an abysmal 1-for-36 with the man advantage over the last nine games. Peoria's only goal during the stretch came in a 3-0 shutout of the archrival Dayton Bombers on Thanksgiving. Since that time, the Rivermen have been held without a power play goal in 370:33. The 1-for-36 stretch started in Peoria's 2-1 road win in Dayton on November 16. The Rivermen were 2-for-2 to start the game but did not score in their third opportunity of the contest. Peoria ranks 30th out of 31 ECHL teams on the power play with an 11.6 percent conversion rate.

Kern Collecting

Second-year left wing Josh Kern is averaging a goal per game over his last five games. The Anchorage, Alaska native had a respectable six assists and a +2 plus/minus over the first 15 games of 2003-2004, but with a goal in Sunday night's 3-1 home loss to Cincinnati, he has erupted for eight points (5g, 3a) over his last five contests. Kern is tied for the team lead in plus/minus (+8) with defenseman Trevor Read. He is tied for second in assists (9) with Brendan Brooks and tied for third on the team in points (13) with Captain Trevor Baker.

Injury, Call-up & Transaction Report

· Rivermen defenseman Craig Olynick has been placed on the 7-day injured reserve, 12/05/03.

· Rivermen center Tyler Rennette has been activated from the 7-day injured reserve, 12/05/03.

· Center Greg Black & Forward Colin Hemingway have been reassigned to the Worcester IceCats (AHL) by the St. Louis Blues (NHL), 12/04/03.

· Defenseman Brian Gaffaney remains on the 30-day injured reserve, 11/22/03.

· Rivermen left wing Daisuke Obara remains on the 7-day injured reserve, 11/21/03.

· Rivermen goaltender Levente Szuper remains on reassignment to the Worcester IceCats (AHL), 11/17/03.

Steering Our Way Through The Schedule

PRACTICES:

· The Rivermen will practice at the Owens Center at 10:00 a.m. CT on Tuesday, December 9 and Wednesday, December 10. On Friday, December 12 and Saturday, December 13, the team will participate in 10:00 a.m. pre-game skates.

GAMES:

· On Thursday, December 11, the Rivermen travel to Dayton, Ohio for the second time this season to face off against the archrival Bombers. Peoria is 3-0-0 against Dayton on the year after a 3-0 shutout – Peoria's third of the season – of the Bombers on Thanksgiving at Carver Arena. The Rivermen registered one-goal victories in a home-and-home set between the clubs on November 15 (@ Peoria, 4-3) & 16 (@ Dayton, 2-1). Peoria owns a 42-22-8 lifetime ECHL record against the Bombers. Dayton (7-10-2, 16 points) has won two straight and is just four points behind the Toledo Storm with a game in hand. The Bombers are led by center Jason Deskins, who leads the team in goals (12), game-winning goals (3) and points (19). The game broadcast can be heard on tape delay on WWFS 1290 AM following University of Illinois Basketball. The game broadcast can be heard LIVE Insight Communications (Peoria-44; Bloomington-Normal-22; Pekin, Morton & Galesburg-70) and online at www.rivermen.net, beginning at 5:50 p.m. from the Nutter Center. Game time is 6:00 p.m. CT.

· On Friday, December 12, Peoria hosts the rival Johnstown Chiefs in the first of two in a row. The Rivermen registered three of a possible four points in Johnstown last Friday and Saturday with a 3-2 overtime loss followed by a 4-3 shootout win. Peoria, 6-1-1 against the Chiefs last season, owns a 30-12-6 lifetime ECHL record against them. Johnstown (14-5-2, 30 points) sits atop the Northern Division with a one-point edge and a game in hand on the Wheeling Nailers (14-7-1, 29 points). The Chiefs led by rookie forward Jason Notermann, who has 20 points (10g, 10a). Former NHL netminder Arturs Irbe is out of commission with a hand injury. The game broadcast can be heard on WWFS 1290 AM, Insight Communications (Peoria-44; Bloomington-Normal-22; Pekin, Morton & Galesburg-70) and online at www.rivermen.net, beginning at 6:50 p.m. from Carver Arena. Game time is 7:00 p.m. CT.

· On Saturday, December 13, Peoria will face off against the Chiefs in the second of two in a row between the clubs. The game broadcast can be heard on WWFS 1290 AM, Insight Communications (Peoria-44; Bloomington-Normal-22; Pekin, Morton & Galesburg-70) and online at www.rivermen.net, beginning at 6:50 p.m. from Carver Arena. Game time is 7:00 p.m. CT.

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ECHL Stories from December 8, 2003


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