Columbus, GA – The Peoria Rivermen overcame a pair of first-period Columbus Cottonmouths goals after a match penalty to their top defenseman, eventually topping the Columbus Cottonmouths 4-2 Friday night. The win, Peoria’s seventh straight game with a point, improves the Rivermen to 8-3-4 with a rematch against the Cottonmouths looming tomorrow night.
The Cottonmouths jumped out to a two-goal lead in the first period of the game. With Dan Bremner in the box for roughing and Dave Pszenyczny in the Peoria locker room for a cross-checking penalty to put Columbus on a 5-on-3 power play, the Cottonmouths had a shot from the point redirected around Peoria goaltender Tyler Parks, with Andy Bathgate credited for the goal at 4:50 of the period to make it 1-0. Columbus doubled their lead at 15:36 of the first when Bathgate dropped to the trailer on a 2-on-1, and Rusty Hafner buried his shot past Parks’ glove to make it 2-0.
The Rivermen came back and tied the game in the second half of the second period. At 12:31 of the second, Peoria entered the Columbus zone, and Peoria center Michael Colantone sent a pass to Bremner on the left post, where the Rivermen captain buried it past Columbus netminder Brandon Jaeger to make it 2-1. The Rivermen tied the game at 16:22 of the second on a very similar play, as Cody Dion fed Justin Hoomaian on the doorstep, and Hoomaian beat Jaeger to tie the game 2-2.
The game remained tied through the first 15 minutes of the third period before Peoria broke through with the go-ahead goal. At 14:55 of the third, Peoria winger Dakota Klecha let go of a turnaround shot from the high slot, and Rivermen center Terrence Wallin pounced on the rebound to give Peoria a 3-2 lead. After Peoria killed off a tripping penalty against Klecha at the 17:01 mark of the period, Columbus pulled Jaeger in favor of an extra skater, and the Rivermen worked the puck to Colantone, who skated it to the Columbus blue line and fired into the empty net at 19:14 of the third for the 4-2 final score.
Parks stopped 20 of 22 shots he faced in goal for Peoria to earn his second professional win, improving his record to 2-0-2 since joining Peoria and 2-3-3 overall.
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