ECHL Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Win Streak Ends at Nine in 5-3 in Wheeling

March 14, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Wheeling, W. Va. (March 14, 2004) – The Peoria Rivermen can thank the first place and Brabham Cup Championship-leading Wheeling Nailers for handing them their last two regulation losses over the past 11 games. Peoria fell at home 4-2 on February 24 to the Nailers for a season-worst four-game losing streak. On Sunday, after the Rivermen had rattled off a season-best nine wins in a row, the Nailers did it again, winning 5-3 in front of 2,869 on Sunday afternoon at WesBanco Arena.

Peoria got within one goal, making it 4-3 with 4:47 left in regulation. Scott Turner took a pass from Mike Hoffman in the high slot, cut to the left face-off circle and directed a low snap shot inside the right post. It was Turner's 11th marker of the season, second of the afternoon and third in two games.

The Nailers sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with 1:18 remaining in regulation. Jake Ortmeyer took a pass from Mark Kosick at the Wheeling blue line, skated the puck the length of the ice and flipped it into the open goal. It was Ortmeyer's 12th tally of the season.

Peoria (39-17-8, 86 points) had its three-game road winning streak halted as well and dropped just its sixth game in regulation on the road in 31 opportunities (20-6-5). The Rivermen finished the season series 3-4-1 against the Nailers. Peoria remains in third place in the Northern Division, four points in front of the rival Johnstown Chiefs. Wheeling (48-14-3, 99 points) snapped a mild two-game winless skid (0-1-1) and improved to 18-0-2 in its last 20 home games. The Nailers are 27-4-3 at WesBanco Arena this season. They finished 5-2-1 against the Rivermen this year.

Mike Valley stopped 18 of 22 shots in the loss, just his eighth in regulation this season (20-8-6). Wheeling's Joe Exter turned away 25 of 28 Peoria chances in his seventh win of the season (7-1-0).

Wheeling took a 1-0 lead on the power play early in the first period. Ortmeyer fired a shot from the right point that Kosick, stationed just off the right goal post, deflected it past Valley. It was Kosick's 19th of the season and first of two in the session.

The Rivermen tied it up with a power play goal of their own with 4:12 remaining in the first. Scott Crawford fired a low shot from the center point that deflected to Rivermen Captain Trevor Baker, who was darting down the right side of the slot. Baker was stopped by Exter but the rebound popped out to the slot, where Turner flipped his 10th tally of the season over Exter.

Wheeling grabbed the lead back with just 29 seconds left in the first. Brad Mehalko raced into the Peoria zone on left wing, sending the puck to the front of the Peoria goal as he got to the top of the left face-off circle. Kosick got there just in time to chip the puck over Valley's glove hand.

The Rivermen tied the game for the second time early in the middle stanza, making it 2-2. Tyler Rennette fed Colin Hemingway as he worked into the Wheeling zone on right wing. With the puck wobbling on its end, Hemingway whistled a shot from the top of the face-off circle that made its way between Exter's right arm and torso at 1:27.

Wheeling took its third lead of the afternoon at 14:39 of the second. Wheeling broke into the Peoria zone on a 3-on-2 break with J.F. Dufour snapping a Stefan Brannare pass inside the right goal post from the bottom of the face-off circle. It was Dufour's 22nd tally of the season.

The Nailers opened a two-goal advantage with 1:13 remaining the second. Steve Crampton rifled a shot from the top of the right face-off circle that Valley stopped after coming well out of his crease. The rebound was left just to his right, where Brannare hammered in his first goal of the season as he was falling down for a 4-2 lead.

On Tuesday, March 16, the Rivermen take on the Reading Royals in the fourth game of seven in a row on the road. Game time is 6:00 p.m. CT at the Sovereign Center.

Check out the Peoria Rivermen Statistics



ECHL Stories from March 14, 2004


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