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Derek Armstrong scored all four goals for the Peoria Rivermen, and again in the shootout, but the Houston Aeros rallied to beat the Rivermen 5-4 at Carver Arena on Saturday. The first hat trick in over a year and the first four-goal performance by a Rivermen player since 2007 was erased as the Aeros scored four times in a span of 7:34 in the third period to tie the game and force overtime.

Jean-Guy Trudel is the only other AHL Rivermen to score four times in the same game when he did it on Dec. 28, 2007 in Iowa. It was Armstrong’s first hat trick since a two-game rehab assignment during the 2002-03 season with Manchester. 


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His first goal came with just 1.8 second left on the clock in the first period. Forced to shoot, he blasted a slapshot into the top right corner of the net to give the Rivermen the lead before time expired. The power-play goal was second of the season and came a night after the Rivermen went 0-for-6 against Rockford.

Peoria took a 2-0 lead 8:38 of the second with an even-strength goal. Armstrong created a turnover that was picked up by Nicholas Drazenovic. He spun a backhand shot on goal and Armstrong crashed the net and chipped it over Anton Khudobin. 

The Rivermen failed to convert on two different 5-on-3 power plays near the midway mark of the second period and overall missed out on 4:13 of consecutive power-play time. 

It didn’t take long after the start of the third period for Armstrong to strike again. He walked across the goal line and jammed the puck into the pads of Khudobin just 54 seconds after the opening faceoff. Time was called and following a conference between referee Jamie Koharski, both linesmen and the goal judge – Armstrong was awarded the hat trick. 

Exactly 4 minutes later, Armstrong found his fourth of the night and 12^th of the season. Stastny and Drazenovic fed Armstrong for another slapshot that flew past Khudobin. Both Stastny and Drazenovic finished with two assists while Wagner and Strachan earned helpers on Armstrong’s other goals. 

Houston started the comeback at 7:03 with the first of two from former Rivermen Jon DiSalvatore. It came during the Aeros’ only 5-on-3 chance of the game with reigning AHL player of the week Maxim Noreau setting up DiSalvatore for a one-timer. Chad Rau lifted a rebound home at 10:07 to cut the Rivermen lead in half. DiSalvatore notched another, his 18^th of the year, just 54 seconds later. Noreau put in one of his own to complete the comeback at 14:37. 

In the shootout, Armstrong shot first and beat Khudobin on the blocker side but the next four Rivermen shooters were all stopped. DiSalvatore and Rau each scored in the shootout to earn the extra point for Houston.

All three meetings between the Rivermen and the Aeros have been decided by one goal with Houston winning twice. Saturday was the Aeros first trip to Carver Arena since eliminating the Rivermen in Game 7 of the first round in last year’s West Division Semifinals.

Trevor Baker was inducted into the Rivermen Hall of Fame in a ceremony that took place during the first intermission. He became the 32^nd member, 23^rd player, and fourth representative of the ECHL era of the Rivermen.