ECHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Win in Commanding Fashion 8-2 over Dayton at Home

Published on March 27, 2004 under ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Peoria, Ill. (March 27, 2004) – Eight was a magic number on Saturday night at Carver Arena for the Peoria Rivermen. The Rivermen registered eight goals in a game for the first time this season and have won a season-best eight in a row at home in an 8-2 victory over the archrival Dayton Bombers before a crowd of 7,184.

Tyler Rennette gave the Rivermen a 6-1 lead at 5:03 of the third period, converting a Colin Hemingway rebound from just off the left goal post. It was Rennette's 29th of the season.

The Bombers added their second tally of the night at 9:57 of the final period. Jason Deskins fed Janne Jokila in the slot, as Jokila roofed his 17th tally over Rivermen goaltender Levente Szuper.

Peoria made it 7-2 at 14:01 of the third. Joe Vandermeer took a Colin Hemingway pass, walked down the right wing boards, cut in underneath the Dayton defenseman, pulled the puck from his backhand to his forehand and slipped it past Bombers goaltender Dave Marlin, who replaced starter Andrew Penner at 7:37 of the second. Penner stopped 12 of 16 Peoria chances in his 25th defeat of the season (14-25-2); Marlin stopped 12 of 16 in relief.

Vandermeer and Jason Norrie led all scorers with three points (1g, 2a) each.

The Rivermen finished the onslaught with their eight tally of the game just 41 seconds later. Norrie fired a shot from the high slot that Marlin turned away, but David Kaczowka was on the doorstep to chip home his sixth goal of the season and fourth in a Rivermen uniform.

Peoria (43-18-9, 95 points) has won four in a row overall and improved to 21-11-3 at Carver Arena. The Rivermen remained in second place over the defending Kelly Cup Champion Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies and the rival Johnstown Chiefs by three points; Peoria has played three more games than Atlantic City and one more than Johnstown. The Rivermen improved to 6-3-1 against the Bombers this season with a road game on Friday, April 2 remaining between the clubs. Dayton (25-39-5, 55 points) dropped to 10-23-3 on the road in the loss.

Szuper turned away 25 of 27 Dayton shots in his 21st win of the season (21-8-1).

The Bombers grabbed a 1-0 lead at 6:02 of the opening session. After taking a pass from Chad Theuer, Riley Cote broke into the Peoria zone on left wing on a 2-on-1 with Brian Ridolfi. Cote held on to the puck and roofed over the right shoulder of Rivermen goaltender Levente Szuper. It was Cote's sixth tally of the season.

It took just 16 seconds for Peoria to tie the game 1-1. Adam Edinger stole the puck at the bottom of the left face-off circle in the Bombers zone and sent the back-the-back pass to Marty Johnston at top of the goal crease. Johnston settled the puck and roofed his 22nd marker of the season into the right corner.

The Rivermen took their first lead of the night at 11:31 of the first. Joe Pereira, after taking a pass Trevor Baker, maneuvered into the Dayton zone on left wing. As he got to the bottom of the face-off circle, Pereira swept a one-handed backhand pass to the top of the goal crease, where Jason Norrie easily slapped his fifth goal in a Rivermen uniform through the legs of Penner.

Dayton's Riley Cote fought two Rivermen in the opening stanza. Peoria's David Kaczowka went toe-to-toe with Cote at 7:06 and then Rivermen Captain Trevor Baker duked it out with Cote at 17:38.

Peoria pushed its lead to 3-1 at 5:45 of the second on Joe Pereira's first professional goal. After a goal-mouth scramble, Joe Pereira jumped to the left goal post and chopped the puck past Penner.

The Rivermen made it 4-1 at 7:37 with the first of two power play goals in the second period. A Tyler Rennette's slap shot from the high slot caromed off the endboards to George Halkidis at the left face-off circle. Halkidis snapped a low shot inside the right goal post that chased Penner from the net in favor of rookie Dave Marlin.

Peoria added its fifth unanswered goal at 11:31 of the second. Edinger took a Scott Crawford pass at the left face-off circle and rifled his 21st tally of the season inside the right goal post.

Tomorrow afternoon – Sunday, March 28 – the Rivermen host the archrival Toledo Storm in their regular season finale. Game time is 3:00 p.m. at Carver Arena. It is the final Journal Star/Insight Media Family Day. Kids 12 and Under receive a $2 Upper Bowl admission. The first 1,000 Kids Meals – $2.50 each – contain a Trevor Baker Player Card. The team's Sunday Gold jerseys will be auctioned off after the game.

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