Rivermen Come From Behind to Win Third Straight in Overtime Thriller

(Photo: Addison Blair/Peoria Rivermen)

Rivermen Come From Behind to Win Third Straight in Overtime Thriller

Weidauer’s late goal, Ognev’s in OT, keep Rivermen rolling in win column

Peoria, IL- The Peoria Rivermen would need more than 60 minutes to put the away the Pensacola Ice Flyers Saturday night as the Rivermen played from behind through the second period and most of the third before tying the game late in regulation, and cashing in on a doorstep goal early in overtime to beat the Ice Flyers 3-2 at Carver Arena. The win, Peoria’s third straight, keeps the Rivermen one point out of first place in the SPHL standings.

The first period saw plenty of action with the Ice Flyers striking first on a fortunate bounce. Brandon Blair released a wrist shot from the right point that was initially stopped by Rivermen goaltender Troy Davenport. The puck then fluttered in the air where Jesse Stouhgton tracked it down and batted it into the Rivermen net to give Pensacola a 1-0 lead at the 13:00 mark of the first.

The Ice Flyers would not hold the lead long as Peoria cashed in on the game’s first power play late in the first. With Austin McKay in the box for interference at 19:11, the Rivermen tied the game 13 seconds later. Off a faceoff in the right circle, Joe Sova controlled the puck at the right point, and passed it down the boards to Nick D’Avolio at the hash mark. D’Avolio skated to the inside of the circle before rifling a shot past Pensacola netminder Matt Zenzola to tie the game 1-1.

The second period saw the Ice Flyers retake the lead on a bizarre bounce. On a clearing attempt the puck rolled lazily down the ice into the Peoria end, where Davenport came out between the circles to play the puck. His clearing attempt the puck bounced off the half boards and off the stick of Corey Banfield and rolled past Davenport and into the net to give the Ice Flyers a 2-1 lead at 3:11 of the second.

The Ice Flyers held their one-goal lead until Peoria tied the game late in the third. After Nick D’Avolio won an offensive-zone faceoff, Christian Weidauer skated the puck to the right point and blasted a laser beam of a wrist shot through net-front traffic and past Zenzola with 2:52 remaining in regulation to leave the score knotted at two for the remainder of the third period.

After 60 minutes could not decide a winner, the teams descended to overtime, where the Rivermen won the game in sudden death. At 1:06 of overtime, Jake Hauswirth worked the puck below the right circle and fed a pass across the slot to Dmitri Ognev, who was waiting on the doorstep and pounded the puck into the back of the net for the 3-2 game winner.

Davenport got the extra-time win in net in his North American professional debut. The European-league veteran stopped 21 of 23 shots faced to help Peoria to their third straight victory.

Notes: The Rivermen scored a power play goal for the second consecutive game….Peoria was 1-for-2 with the man advantage and did not offer a power play opportunity to Pensacola….The Rivermen return to action on November 12^th playing host to the Huntsville Havoc at 7:05, where the Rivermen will wear USA/Camo themed jerseys to be auctioned off after the game…The game will also include an Army swear in ceremony as well as a Fuller House snack drive…It will also be a Par-A-Dice Hotel & Casino Night with an appearance by the Par-A-Dice Crew…The broadcast of the game can be heard, starting with the pregame show, at 6:45 at http://mixlr.com/peoria-rivermen/

Group, season, and single game tickets for Peoria's 35th season of professional hockey, presented by Midwest Orthopaedic Center, are on sale at the Toyota Box Office in the Peoria Civic Center, or by phone at the Rivermen office, located at 201 S.W. Jefferson Street, or over the phone at (309) 676-1040. For the latest Rivermen news and notes, follow online at www.rivermen.net or through Facebook (www.facebook.com/PeoriaRivermen) - Twitter (https://twitter.com/Peoria_Rivermen)