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SPHL Peoria Rivermen

Wilkie Shines with Four Goals as Rivermen Outlast Knoxville 6-4

February 1, 2025 - SPHL (SPHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release


KNOXVILLE, TN- Zach Wilkie netted four goals in his first pro hat trick and the Peoria Rivermen edged out the Knoxville Ice Bears in a raucous 6-4 triumph on Saturday night at the Knoxville, Civic Coliseum.

Alec Baer got the scoring started as he skated off the right-side boards and into the low slot. Baer held on to the puck, while fighting off a defenseman all over him, and then fired a back-handed shot into the back of the net to put the Rivermen up 1-0. Zach Wilkie added on a pair of goals with shots from the high slot and the top of the near right circle to extend Peoria's lead to 3-0.

The second period started well enough for Peoria. Jordan Ernst wired home a Zach Wilkie one-timer pass while on the power play to extend the Rivermen lead to 4-0. Wilkie then notched his third goal of the game and his first hat trick in professional hockey after Wilkie fired a hard shot from the top of the right-wing circle and into the back of the net. But the Ice Bears fought back and rattled off three unanswered power-play goals in the second half of the second period to pull the game to a 5-3 contest and a two-goal deficit going into the third period.

Knoxville was able to pull within one early in the third period to make it four goals in a row to make it a 5-4 game. The Rivermen were then faced with three consecutive Knoxville power plays in quick succession. Despite the pressure, the Rivermen's defense stiffened up, and led by Wilkie, killed off the advantages. In the final moments of regulation, Wilkie lifted the puck from right at his goal line and sent it down the length of the ice for the empty-net goal with three seconds remaining to secure his fourth goal of the game and a 6-4 Rivermen victory.

Peoria has now secured victories in five straight games in points in their last six games. The Rivermen will take on the Quad City Storm on Thursday morning at 10:30 am in Moline, Illinois as the rivalry between the two sides heats up once again.

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