Rivermen Upend Atlantic City on the Road 3-1; Clinch Berth in 2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs
March 20, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release
Atlantic City, NJ (March 19, 2004) â Colin Hemingway tallied two goals, one in the first period and one in the third, to the lead the Peoria Rivermen to a 3-1 victory over the second place and defending Kelly Cup Champion Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies on Friday night in front of 3,186 at Boardwalk Hall.
Hemingway scored his second of the night and sixth in the last four games at 11:11 of the third. Joe Vandermeer chipped the puck toward the Atlantic City goal from the left face-off circle that Hemingway tipped down to the ice before All-Star Atlantic City goaltender Scott Stirling could catch it. Hemingway then easily slapped his 17th goal in a Rivermen uniform this season into the open net.
With 5:55 left to go in regulation, Atlantic City Head Coach Mike Haviland was ejected for disputing a roughing call on defenseman Dave Reid. Assistant Coach Matt Thomas assumed the coaching duties for the remainder of regulation.
Peoria (40-18-9, 89 points) snapped a season-worst, three-game road winless streak (0-2-1) with the victory. The Rivermen finished 2-0-2 against the Boardwalk Bullies in the four-game season series. Peoria, who improved to an ECHL-best 21-7-6 on the road, clinched a spot in the 2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs by virtue of winning the third tiebreaker with the Reading Royals, who cannot earn more than 89 points. If Reading won the rest of its games and Peoria lost the rest, the teams would be tied in points and wins and the Rivermen would earn the berth with more points earned in the season series. Atlantic City (41-16-6, 88 points) is winless at Boardwalk Hall in its last four games (0-2-2), dropping to 21-7-4 at home. The Boardwalk Bullies still need two points to clinch a spot in the 2004 Kelly Cup playoffs with nine games remaining in the season.
Rivermen goaltender Levente Szuper turned away 33 of 34 Atlantic City shots in his 18th victory of the season (18-8-1). Stirling stopped 27 of 30 Peoria chances in his 12th loss of the year (30-12-5).
With Atlantic City's Preston Mizzi off for a cross-checking minor and Luke Curtin joining him 21 seconds later for a high-sticking double minor, the Rivermen wasted little time taking the lead on a 5-on-3 advantage. Scott Crawford sent a pass to Scott Turner at the bottom of the right face-off circle. Turner quickly found Adam Edinger just above the goal crease, where Edinger one-touched a backhand pass to Marty Johnston just off the left goal post. Johnston hammered his 21st tally of the season over Stirling.
Peoria finished the game 1-for-5 on the power play, while Atlantic City was 0-for-5.
The Rivermen pushed their lead 2-0 at 15:59 of the second session. Hemingway worked into the Atlantic City zone down the middle of the ice on 3-on-2 break, pulling up in the high slot and rocketing a shot over the blocker of Stirling. It was Hemingway's 16th goal in a Rivermen uniform.
Atlantic City got on the board just 1:56 later. Nick Parillo, in his Boardwalk Bullies debut after being acquired from Toledo on March 15 for future considerations, broke into the Peoria zone on right wing with Josh Prudden. Parillo waited for Peoria defenseman Scott Crawford to go down and cut off the passing lane and then slipped the puck inside the left post. It was his 20th marker of the season.
On Wednesday, March 24, the Rivermen travel to Cincinnati, Ohio to battle the Cyclones in the 13th and final meeting between the clubs this season. Game time is 6:30 p.m. CT at U.S. Bank Arena.
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