AHL Peoria Rivermen

Whitfield's Hat Trick is Enough for Peoria

Published on January 2, 2009 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


Peoria, Ill. (January 2, 2009) - Trent Whitfield scored all three goals for Peoria to earn his first professional hat trick and a 3-1 win for the Rivermen over the San Antonio Rampage, Friday night at Carver Arena. He recorded a power-play goal, a shorthanded goal and an even strength goal spread throughout the three periods.

It was the 773rd game of his professional career that has spanned 10-plus seasons. He now has 11 goals on the season and 211 in his career.

Steve Regier assisted on all three goals while Charles Linglet was involved in two out of the three. Chris Holt made 25 saves to earn his sixth win of the season.

Whitfield opened the scoring on Peoria's first power play of the game at 10:53 of the first period. With the puck dumped into the corner, Linglet sent it to Regier below the goal line who found Whitfield just outside the crease. After Josh Tordjman's initial save, Whitfield buried his own rebound for his third power-play goal of the season.

San Antonio responded and tied the game less than a minute later on a power play of their own. Jeff Hoggan walked out of the corner and rifled a wrist shot just under the crossbar for his 13th of the year at 11:37.

In the second period Whitfield and Regier found themselves on a two-on-one despite being shorthanded. Whitfield hit Regier with a pass in the slot and he quickly returned it to Whitfield who walked in unguarded on Torjman. He roofed his wrist shot behind the goaltender for his third shorthanded goal of the season at 16:48.

It was the 10th shorthanded goal this season by the Rivermen, which is most in the American Hockey League.

The captain capped the hat trick at7:58 of the final frame. Linglet fed the puck from the corner to the crease and Whitfield poked the puck through Tordjman.

It was the first Rivermen hat trick since Julian Talbot scored three on March 21, 2008.

Holt was strong and stopped the final 20 shots of the game to lower his goals-against average to 1.80 in 10 starts this season. The win stopped a season-long four-game losing streak for the Rivermen and now gives Peoria a 2-1-0 record against San Antonio this season.

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