PSN’S Best Shots Of The Game- Late Rally Falls Short As Rivermen Lose 3-2 Sunday

Peoria, IL – The Peoria Rivermen scored first before three straight goals lifted the Pensacola Ice Flyers to a 3-2 win in Game 2 of the SPHL President’s Cup Finals Sunday. The loss puts the Rivermen behind 2-0 in the series, facing elimination in Game 3 Thursday night in Pensacola.

The Rivermen started the scoring near the midway point of first period after Benjamin Rubin walked through the right circle and fed a pass to Dave Pszenyczny, who put it into a wide open net for the 1-0 lead. The Ice Flyers tied the game at 11:34 of the first when Ryan Kesti’s shot was stopped by Kyle Rank’s blocker and the rebound wobbled through the air to Steve Bergin atop the left circle. Bergin settled the puck down and fired just over the left pad of a screened Rank to tie the game 1-1.

Pensacola took the lead in the second period. At 7:04 of the second, Drew Baker’s drive from the point resulted in a doorstep rebound that Pensacola’s Joe Caveney pounced on and fired in for the 2-1 lead. The Ice Flyers extended their lead to 3-1 at 15:25 when a faceoff in Peoria territory came to Stephen Buco in the slot, and he tucked his shot over Rank’s left shoulder to make it 3-1 and chase Rank from the game in favor of David Jacobson.

The Rivermen cut the Pensacola lead in half with a power-play goal at 5:02 of the third. With Joseph Holka in the box for slashing, a pass from the right corner found Connor Toomey at the top of the Ice Flyers’ crease, and he put it past Pensacola netminder Matt Zenzola for a 3-2 score. The 3-2 score would hold to the end after the Rivermen pulled Jacobson for an extra skater with 1:39 left in the third period.

Rank stopped 16 of 19 shots faced in the first 35:25 of the game before he was relieved by Jacobson, who stopped all seven shots he faced in his 22:59 of net time. The loss is Rank’s second of the playoffs after he won his first four appearances of the postseason.

Notes: Pszenyczny’s goal gives him three this postseason, most among all Rivermen skaters…Adam Stuart was credited with an assist on Toomey’s third-period goal to improve his team-best point total to seven…The Rivermen and Ice Flyers will resume their Best-of-5 series when they play Game 3 Thursday night at 7:05 in Pensacola…The broadcast of the Game can be heard, starting with the pregame show at 6:45, at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/rivermen