PEORIA, Ill – About 760 miles separate the Peoria Rivermen and Roanoke Rail Yard Dogs on the map and even further apart on the stats sheet, but do have one thing in common. They are both first round orphans.
Both teams do share one thing, though. Roanoke is locked out of its’ home arena, the Berglund Center, for this round and will play the series opener at the La Haye Ice Center on the campus of Liberty University due to Professional Bull Riders competition. Peoria is locked out of Carver Arena due to an auto show at the Peoria Civic Center. The Rivermen will host game #2 (and #3, if necessary) at the Peoria Park District’s Owen’s Center.
It is unlikely that Roanoke will fill the comfortable 3000 seat La Haye venue for a week-night first-round game. The smaller venue will make even a half-full arena play big.
Owens Center, on the other hand, only seats 950 on cold metal bleachers and is poorly insulated. Predicted high temps and humidity could impact ice conditions. Rivermen die-hards will pack the place.
The Rivermen, Coffey Cup trophy in hand for having the best record during the regular season, head to Liberty University for the opening game of the SPHL playoffs against the Rail Yard Dogs on Wednesday, April 11.
Survey Says…
A quick perusal of the statistics shows that Peoria has a significantly better home and road record than Roanoke. That’s no surprise.
Peoria bested Roanoke 4-1-0 in the season series, with the lone win coming on the final night of the regular season as Peoria played two amateurs and rested a handful of regulars.
On special teams, the Rail Yard Dogs ranked sixth in the league in both power play and penalty kill. The Rivermen, on the other hand, were fourth and third, respectively.
Peoria led the league in goals against, allowing 2.75 per game while scoring more than a goal more, average (3.77). Roanoke allowed nearly three-and-a-half goals per game and scored just over three (3.04) per game – both eighth place in a ten team league.
Between The Pipes
Peoria chooses between Tyler Parks and Mason Pulde. Parks was amazing earlier in the season but spent significant time on ECHL call-up. His stint opening doors in the in Tulsa, Reading, and Estero left him rusty upon his return. Although he is showing sign of shaking some of that off, he will probably give-way to Pulde.
A mid-season Federal League call-up, Pulde looked completely outclassed in his first outing at the SPHL level. Since then, he has been a phenom, posting elite numbers.
Brad Barone will start for Roanoke and Matt Zenzola will serve as backup. Both are extremely capable and, at times, amazing goaltenders. Either could turn the series around with a hot hand, but facing the Peoria shot-machine will be a daunting task.
The Big Difference
Over 56 games, Peoria had the second most penalties in the league. Conversely, Roanoke was the second least penalized team in the league. While staying out of the box is important in the playoffs, so is maintaining intensity. Roanoke showed little of this during the last two weeks of the regular season. These Dogs, as the saying goes, stayed on porch.
The question is, can the Rail Yard Dogs hang with the Peoria Rivermen. Results from the regular season say they can’t. Had they played them a little tougher these past few weekends, the Rail Yard Dogs might have even put themselves into seventh place and out of a first round matchup with the Rivermen. Instead, they all but rolled over. Is Roanoke is playing an epic game of ‘Possum?
To win, Roanoke needs to win six straight periods of hockey and maybe more. It’s possible, but is it probable?
Nope.
Peoria in two.
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