KNOXVILLE, TN – The Peoria Rivermen saw a 3-1 second-period lead evaporate Friday night as the Rivermen fell by a 5-3 score at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. The loss, Peoria’s third in their last four games, drops the Rivermen to 35-6-6 before tomorrow night’s rematch with the Knoxville Ice Bears.
The Rivermen roared to a 2-0 lead with a pair of first-period goals. Defenseman Ben Oskroba’s one-time cannon from the high slot netted a power-play goal at 7:30, and at 14:33 Peoria’s Justin Greenberg finished a net-front scramble to double the lead.
The Ice Bears battled back to within a goal with a power-play tally of their own late in the first. Ice Bears forward Bryce Nielsen finished a rebound of a teammate’s shot past Peoria netminder Stephen Klein at 18:19 of the first for the 2-1 score.
Peoria pushed their lead back to two goals with an even-strength marker at 14:54 of the second period. Rivermen winger Austin Vieth collected a pass in the right-wing corner of the Knoxville zone, skated up the boards, spun and fired a sharp-angle drive that leaked through Ice Bears netminder Cody Porter for a 3-1 lead.
The Ice Bears got back within a goal with a short-handed tally late in the second period. Knoxville winger Stefan Brucato absorbed a check along the right-wing boards of the Rivermen zone, and threw the puck toward the net, sneaking it past Klein at 17:57 of the frame.
Knoxville tied the game with a power-play tally early in the game’s final period. Knoxville won a faceoff in Peoria territory, and newly-signed forward Lonnie Clary tipped Doug Rose’s drive from the high slot past Klein for 3-3 at 6:45 of the frame.
The Ice Bears took the lead for good with a goal just past the midway point of the third period. Ice Bears blueliner Blake O’Neill took a shot from the point that made its way through traffic and past Klein for a 4-3 lead at 13:04 of the period. Peoria pulled Klein for an extra attacker in the final minute of regulation, but Ice Bears winger Marcus Ortiz logged an empty-net goal at 19:15 of the period to put the game out of reach at 5-3.
Klein suffered the loss in net, falling to 18-5-2 in net. The loss is Klein’s second straight, marking the first time this season Klein has dropped back-to-back decisions.
Notes: The win clinched Knoxville a playoff spot, mathematically locking them ahead of Quad City…Rivermen winger Alec Hagaman notched a pair of assists for his first multi-assist outing since January 12 at Evansville…Oskroba’s goal is just the sixth power-play goal allowed by the Ice Bears in Knoxville this season.
Game recap provided by official SPHL media release
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