The Peoria Rivermen never trailed in their game on Wednesday night against the San Antonio Rampage until they were skating off the ice in overtime. Kevin Porter’s wrist shot through a screen found its way into the net to give the Rampage a 3-2 win at AT&T Center just 40 seconds into sudden death.
After a scoreless first half to the game, the two teams traded fluke goals to even the score at 1-1. The Rivermen opened the score with a goal credited to Justin Fletcher at 8:46 of the second period. As Fletcher’s pass was stolen in the corner, one of the Rampage defensemen inadvertently pushed the puck in front of his own net. It then deflected off David Schlemko’s stick and into the net. It was Fletcher’s eighth goal of the season.
San Antonio knotted the score just a few minutes later as enforcer Francis Lessard slipped a deflected slap shot past Chris Holt. His initial shot was blocked by Jonas Junland and bounced right back to Lessard. He wound up again and, after glancing Junland’s stick, it snuck between the legs of Holt.
Peoria staked themselves a 2-1 lead with only 9:33 remaining in regulation. Cam Paddock redirected a shot past Al Montoya for his sixth of the year. Fletcher’s wrist shot hit a body in front and was destined wide of the goal when Paddock pushed the puck across the goal line and just inside the far post.
Joel Perrault answered at 13:23 on a breakaway to tie the game. Holt had already turned aside two separate breakaways over the course of the game but Jeff May snuck a pass behind the Rivermen defense and sprung Perrault in all alone. His backhand move beat Holt and sent the game to overtime.
The game ended a mere 40-seconds into the extra session as Porter’s shot navigated its way through a maze from the top of the right circle. It was just the third time the season the Rivermen dropped a game past regulation and the first time on the road.
With one point in the game, the Rivermen pulled even with the Houston Aeros for second place in the West Division. Peoria’s 75 points have come in 69 games while the Aeros have reached that total in 67. The two teams will meet on Saturday night in the first of back-to-back games from the Toyota Center.
The game will be broadcast on Hippie 101.1 FM as well as online at
www.rivermen.net.
The Rivermen return to Carver Arena on Friday, March 27 to take on the Milwaukee Admirals at 7:00 p.m. Following the game, country music star Jimmy Wayne will perform. Tickets are available at the Peoria Civic Center Box Office, by calling (309) 676-1040 or online at www.rivermen.net/tickets. 
