CHL Mississippi RiverKings

Truelson Overtime Heroics Beat Missouri

Published on January 1, 2010 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


SOUTHAVEN, MS --- Defenseman Kevin Truelson's blast from the left side of the rink found the back of the net and with it, the Mississippi RiverKings defeated the Missouri Mavericks 4-3 in overtime on Friday, January 1st in Southaven.

The game-winning goal was his first since joining the RiverKings as part of a five-player trade with the Wichita Thunders.

Mississippi opened the scoring with a pair of first period goals. Derek Landmesser opened the scoring with his sixth marker of the year, a blast from the right point with five and a half minutes left in the period for a 1-0 lead.

Darrell Stoddard and Louis Dumont earned assists on the goal.

The RiverKings added to the lead when Ryan Held scored from Matt Pierce for a 2-0 with just three remaining in the first session. The goal was Held's team-leading 17th goal of the year.

Missouri answered with a giak early in the second period, netted by Simon Watson for a 2-1 RiverKings lead with three and a half minutes gone in the second frame.

But, the RiverKings responded from that goal when Ryan Campbell took a feed from Held and scored his 10th goal of the year at 8:27, giving Mississippi a 3-1 lead after two periods of play.

In the third period, Missouri again drew within one goal when Watson scored his second goal of the night and his fifth of the season nearly three minutes into the period.

The Mavericks then tied the game with just under four and a half minutes remaining on a goal from Nick Sirota. The contest went into overtime knotted up at 3-3.

Mississippi got a power play going in the overtime period with a hooking call to Derek Pallardy, and that's when Truelson became the RiverKing hero with his second goal of the year and first in Mississippi. The game-winning goal came with assists to Landmesser and Darrell Stoddard.

Both teams scored once on the power play, with Truelson's heroics coming with a man advantage in the overtime session. Watson's first goal of the game was also a power play goal.

Mississippi outshot the Mavericks by a 44-32 margin. Winning goaltender Kevin Beech (4-2-1) stopped 29 shots for the RiverKings, while Doug Groenestege made 40 saves in the losing effort for Missouri.

With the win, the RiverKings (15-13-3) moved into a fourth-place tie with the Tulsa Oilers, who Mississippi meets again Saturday night in Tulsa at 7:35 PM.

The next RiverKings home game will come on Friday, January 8th, when the CHL league leading Odessa Jackalopes come in on Elvis Night in Southaven. Game time is 7:05 PM.

For RiverKings ticket information, call the front offices at 662-342-1755 or go online to www.riverkings.com today.

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Central Hockey League Stories from January 1, 2010


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