Parks’ First Pro Shutout Leads Rivermen to 3-0 Win Friday in Evansville

December 16, 2016 7:15 pm

Away | Regular

Evansville Thunderbolts

Final
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Thunderbolts
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Rivermen
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Photo Credit:Tim Lester/Peoria Rivermen

Parks’ First Pro Shutout Leads Rivermen to 3-0 Win Friday in Evansville

Hutchinson’s first pro goal winds up being game-winner for Peoria

 

Evansville, IN – The Peoria Rivermen got 23 saves from Tyler Parks and three goals in the final two periods to beat the Evansville Thunderbolts 3-0 at the Ford Center on Friday night. The win, Peoria’s first since December 2 at Columbus, comes before the Rivermen and Thunderbolts conclude their home-and-home series Saturday night in Peoria.

 

Peoria and Evansville played through the first period without a goal before Peoria opened the scoring early in the second period. With the puck in the left corner of the Thunderbolts zone, Peoria winger Cody Dion sent a pass to the top of the left circle, where Rivermen winger Cole Hutchinson controlled it and fired a wrist shot through traffic and past Evansville goaltender Tanner Milliron for a 1-0 Peoria lead.

 

The Rivermen built their lead and pulled away in the third period. At the 5:05 mark of the third, Peoria center Michael Colantone’s pass from behind the Thunderbolts net was one-timed past Milliron by Connor Gorman to make it a 2-0 Rivermen advantage. The Peoria lead grew to 3-0 at 14:20 of the third when Dion’s shot from the right wing resulted in a rebound that was buried by Peoria winger Jeff Jones to put the game out of reach.

 

Parks stopped all 23 shots he faced for his first pro shutout. The win is Parks’ first since December 2 at Columbus.

 

Notes: Hutchinson’s goal is his first as a professional and comes in his 69th pro game…Peoria winger Cody Dion notched the secondary assist on Hutchinson’s goal to extend his personal point-scoring streak to seven games……The Rivermen return to action when they complete their home-and-home series with the Thunderbolts at 7 p.m. at Carver Arena…It’s Peoria’s Star Wars Night, with the Rivermen wearing specialty jerseys that will be auctioned off postgame…Peoria will also be handing out lightsabers to the first 750 kids 12 & under…The game will be broadcast live, starting with a 6:45 pregame show, at http://mixlr.com/peoria-rivermen/

 

Group, single game, and season 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)