Thunder Conclude Pre-Season with 2nd OT Win
October 19, 2013 - SPHL (SPHL)
Bloomington Thunder News Release
Going to overtime for the second straight night, the Bloomington Thunder concluded the Southern Professional Hockey League pre-season with a 5-4 shootout win over the Peoria Rivermen on Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Coliseum.
The Thunder opened the scoring with 12:32 remaining in the opening period on a drive from the right circle by Dan Barczuk on a cross-ice feed from Kevin Walrod and Paul D'Agostino. The Rivermen evened the contest with 6:26 remaining in the opening chapter on a goal by Dean Yakura assisted by Joe Schiller and Charlie Carkin. Bloomington regained the lead at 2-1 with 2:23 before the first intermission as Matt Puntereri walked in from the right circle for a low wrister assisted by D'Agostino.
Peoria tied the game at 2-2 just under three minutes into the middle stanza on a Schiller tally assisted by Nick Prockow and Dustin Parks. The Rivermen gained their first lead of the night with 11:31 left by capitalizing on a 5-on-3 power play with a short-range tally by Mike Lysyj assisted by Prockow. The Rivermen took a 4-2 lead into the second intermission on a freak play as Matt Graham threw the puck from the left corner behind the goal line off the skate of Thunder goalie Garrett Bartus and into the net an instant before the second period horn for an unassisted shorthanded goal and a 4-2 Peoria lead.
Bloomington cut the margin to 4-3 with 14:21 left in the third period when Kyle Watson rapped a loose puck home from the right circle on helpers from Ron Cramer and William Lacasse. The Thunder equalizer to put the game at 4-4 came with 2:52 remaining in regulation with Kory Helowka rebound goal on assists from Tyler Gjurich and Curtis Megginson.
After a scoreless overtime, only one goal was scored in the shootout as Eddie Olczyk earned the game-winner in the ninth round. The win follows a 5-4 overtime victory for the Thunder in Peoria on Friday.
The Thunder outshot the Rivermen 39-37. Bartus earned the win with 13 saves out of 14 shots and all nine stops in the shootout. Phil Cook went the distance in goal for Peoria and stopped 34 shots in the loss. Bloomington was 1-of-3 on the power play while Peoria went 1-of-4.
The Thunder host the Rivermen for the season opener on Friday with all fans in attendance given a chance to win a new car from O'Brien Mitsubishi that night. Season ticket and multi-game ticket plan holders receive more chances to win. Season tickets, three-game Hat Trick plans and partial season ticket plans are still available as are group discounts. For more information, call 309-434-2980 or visit Facebook, Twitter (BLMThunder) or www.bloomingtonthunder.com.
Juniors unlucky against Irish: The Bloomington Junior Blaze dropped a 4-3 decision to the visiting Detroit Fighting Irish on Saturday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Midwest Junior Hockey League play. The squads were tied 1-1 after one period thanks to a late goal from Bloomington's Dylan Farmer, then tied again at 2-2 early in the second on a tally from Garret Maged. The Irish scored twice within 2:19 later in the second period to build a 4-2 lead, which Bloomington's Jorey Skelton cut to the final margin on an unassisted shorthanded goal 7:46 into the final period. Cameron Lerner took the loss for the Junior Blaze (1-4-0) with 35 saves. The Junior Blaze and Fighting Irish (4-1-0) rematch for the final game of the weekend series on Sunday at 11 a.m. at U.S. Cellular Coliseum.
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