AHL Peoria Rivermen

Stars ruin boxing day for Rivermen

Published on December 26, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Des Moines, IA (December 26, 2005) - It was a classic case of "too little, too late" for the Peoria Rivermen in their Boxing Day match-up with the Iowa Stars. On Monday evening in Des Moines, the Rivermen scored two goals in the third period, but since the Stars had notched three goals over the course of the first and second periods, the Iowa squad came away with a 3-2 win.

Down 3-0 at the second intermission, the Rivermen finally got momentum on their side in the third period. Following a shot on goal from the right point by Peoria blueliner Trevor Byrne during a Rivermen power play, several players from both teams converged into the area in front of Stars netminder Mike Smith. Somehow from in among that scrum, Rivermen center Trent Whitfield was able to poke the puck into the goal to put Peoria on the scoreboard at the 8:45 mark of the third.

Then, just more than one minute later, the Rivermen drew to within one goal of the Stars at 3-2. Skating onto the rebound of a shot by center Gavin Morgan in the left face-off circle, Peoria winger Brendan Brooks found his linemate Blake Evans with a pass into the right circle. Taking the puck just inside the inner right hash marks, Evans unleashed a one-timer that beat Smith to the stick side at 9:54 of the third frame.

Despite their best efforts from that point on, the Rivermen were unable to complete a comeback before regulation time in this game expired. The one-goal loss drops Peoria's overall record to 16-13-0-1. Away from their Carver Arena home, the Rivermen are now 6-7-0-0. Iowa, meanwhile, moves ahead of Peoria in the West Division standings with an overall record of 16-12-1-1. At home, the Stars are now 10-7-1-1.

The Stars put the Rivermen in an early hole in this game, scoring the first goal of the tilt less than two minutes in. Although Rivermen goaltender Patrick Lalime was able to stop a blast from the top of the right circle by Iowa right winger Junior Lessard, a rebound sprouted into the crease to Lalime's right, where Iowa left winger Mathias Tjarnqvist swooped in and tapped the puck in the Peoria goal. The goal staked the Stars to a 1-0 lead at the 1:49 mark of the first period.

At 12:26 of the first, the Stars got another goal to go up 2-0. Skating into the Peoria zone on the left wing, Iowa center Yan Stastny wired a diagonal pass to his winger Vojtech Polak at the right face-off dot. Polak then got off a quick shot that hit Lalime in the left shoulder and went in the net.

The second goal of the game for Tjarnqvist came in the second frame and gave the Stars a 3-0 lead. On a face-off at the right dot in the Peoria zone, Iowa center Toby Petersen pushed the puck forward and to the right toward the goal line. Lessard, bursting to the puck off of the draw, whipped the puck on net to his left. Tjarnqvist, who also got a good jump off of the draw, made a bee-line to the goal and banged the puck home as he crashed into Lalime at 15:52 of the second.

The Rivermen next move on to Milwaukee to face the Milwaukee Admirals at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening at the Bradley Center.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 26, 2005


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