MOLINE, IL – The Peoria Rivermen scored a pair of goals in the first period, held the Quad City Storm to nine shots on goal through the first 40 minutes, and coasted to a 3-1 victory at the TaxSlayer Center Friday night. The win, Peoria’s first since March 3, improves the Rivermen to 36-7-8 on the year before tomorrow night’s season series finale with the Storm at Carver Arena.
The Rivermen opened the scoring with a pair of goals just moments apart late in the first period. With Quad City on the power-play courtesy of a tripping minor against Pijus Rulevicius, Rivermen center Justin Greenberg intercepted a Quad City pass on the high left wing of the Peoria zone, sped down the ice, and finished a breakaway past Storm goaltender Ryan Mulder for a 1-0 lead at 16:27 of the period. Peoria doubled their lead 57 seconds later when Rivermen derfenseman Ben Oskroba’s drive from the high slot rang in off the Quad City crossbar for 2-0.
The Rivermen built their lead to three with a marker in the latter stages of the game’s middle period. Rivermen captain Alec Hagaman picked up a loose puck in the low right wing of the Storm zone, carried up the half wall, cut through the circle, muscled his way across the slot, and shoveled a backhander past Mulder at 14:39 of the frame, chasing Mulder from the contest.
The Rivermen held their 3-0 lead through the second intermission, holding the Storm to just nine shots on goal in the first 40 minutes. Quad City got on the board when Tommy Tsicos broke up Rivermen goaltender Stephen Klein’s shutout bid at 3:25 of the final period, but the Rivermen held on for the eventual 3-1 final score.
Notes: Hagaman netted a goal in his second straight game…Greenberg notched a goal and has a point or more in 10 of his last 11 games…Rivermen center Austin Hervey and Storm defenseman Ben Boukal fought at the 18:49 mark of the first period…With the win the Rivermen mathematically lock Huntsville behind them and drop their magic number to three points on Birmingham to clinch a regular-season championship.
Game recap courtesy of official SPHL media release
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