ECHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Win Final ECHL Game 5-4 in a Shootout

Published on April 9, 2005 under ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Peoria, Ill. (April 9, 2005) – The images were indelible. Peoria Captain Trevor Baker netted the shootout winner in the fifth and final round for a 5-4 victory over the Dayton Bombers in front of 7,255 on Saturday night at Carver Arena. And Tyler Rennette, who took his jersey off at center ice in a curtain call, while Baker and Randy Rowe followed his lead before exiting the ice one final time.

The Rivermen made it 4-2 at 8:09 of the final period of regulation. Kris Kasper carried the puck into the Dayton zone on right wing and fed a breaking Phil Lewandowski, who was driving down the slot. The shot was stopped by Dayton goaltender Mike Ayers, and the rebound was poked home by defenseman-turned-forward Warren Toews, who was trailing the play.

The Bombers got within a tally for the third time in the game at 10:25 on the power play. Tyler Sloan took a pass from Jeff Szwez at the left point and whipped a low slap shot inside the left goal post that made its way unfettered through a maze of players about eight inches off the ice. It was Sloan's sixth goal of the season.

Dayton tied the game 4-4 for the first time with another power play goal 1:40 later. Szwez took a pass from Chris Pedota, broke through the Rivermen defense and roofed his hat trick goal into the upper right corner. It was his 29th marker of the year.

Peoria outshot Dayton four to two in the overtime but the game went to a shootout. Trevor Byrne and Reggie Stringer scored for the Rivermen earlier in the shootout, and Dayton's Todd Alexander and Brent Ozarowski scored in the extra session.

Peoria (38-26-8, 84 points) finished its ECHL tenure at Carver Arena with a 221-64-35 record. The Rivermen ended up 4-3-2 against the Bombers this year and 50-28-11 lifetime in the ECHL in the regular season. Dayton (23-40-9, 55 points) finished the season 0-4-2 in its last six games and 11-22-3 on the road.

Rivermen rookie goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu (11-12-3) stopped 37 of 41 in regulation and three of five in the shootout, while Ayers (15-28-6) turned away 54 of 58 in regulation and overtime and two of five in the shootout.

Peoria opened the scoring 4:15 into the game. Veteran Reggie Stringer fed defenseman Trevor Byrne, who motored down the slot and fluttered a wrist shot over the glove of Ayers.

The Rivermen gave themselves a two-goal lead at 7:04 of the opening session. Rivermen Captain Trevor Baker chipped the puck to Randy Rowe, who drove into the zone and rocketed a slap shot inside the left goal post from the top of the right face-off circle. It was Rowe's 21st tally of the year.

The Bombers cut the lead in half with 4:04 to go in the first on Szwez's first goal of the night. Szwez did all the work to get the tally. He stole the puck from Peoria's Randy Rowe to hold the puck in the zone and snapped a pass to Aaron Foster, who was at the left face-off circle. Foster's slap shot was stopped by Beckford-Tseu, but Szwez, who came from behind the net, grabbed the rebound and shoved it past Beckford-Tseu. It was Szwez's 26th tally of the season.

Peoria popped in a power play tally just 10 seconds into the second session for a 3-1 advantage. Baker was behind the Dayton net and fed Rennette, who was just off the left post, tapped in his 18th tally and easily beat Ayers.

The Bombers got within one again at 4:43 of the second, making it 3-2. An initial shot from in front of the Peoria net by Todd Alexander was fought off by Beckford-Tseu, but the puck was deflected and loose in front, where Szwez lifted a backhand chance just under the crossbar.

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