Rivermen Come Back, Outlast Thunderbolts 2-1 Tuesday

Photo Credit: Addison Blair/Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Come Back, Outlast Thunderbolts 2-1 Tuesday

Hoomaian’s first career GWG lifts Rivermen into third-place tie

Evansville, IN – The Peoria Rivermen erased a 1-0 second-period Evansville Thunderbolts lead before eventually taking a 2-1 regulation victory at the Ford Center Tuesday night. The win, Peoria’s second in a row, lifts the Rivermen to 49 points, tied with Fayetteville for third place in the SPHL standings before a three-game, three-night weekend with the Thunderbolts beginning on Friday.

The first period was scoreless and the Thunderbolts opened the scoring early in the second. Thunderbolts defenseman Stephen Gallo played the puck around Rivermen blueliner Brandon Greenside at the left point of the Evansville zone, springing a 2-on-1 rush for the Thunderbolts. Evansville winger Mark Petaccio carried into the right wing of the Rivermen zone and fed across the slot to Dave Williams, who beat Rivermen goaltender Storm Phaneuf for a 1-0 Thunderbolts lead at 5:02 of the first.

The Rivermen evened the score with a goal of their own near the midway point of the second. After veteran Rivermen defenseman Dave Pszenyczny was freed from a slashing penalty, he charged into the Evansville zone, intercepted a pass, and sent it to Rivermen winger Connor Gorman, who dunked it past Thunderbolts goaltender Tanner Milliron for a 1-1 tie at 9:51 of the second.

The teams remained tied until the Rivermen took the lead for good in the third. Rivermen winger Michael Colantone carried the puck up the right-wing boards of the Thunderbolts zone, circled around the net, and put a feed to the slot, where Peoria forward Justin Hoomaian snapped a one-timer past Milliron for what would become the eventual final score, 2-1, at 2:57 of the third.

Phaneuf earned his second straight win in net for the Rivermen, stopping 18 of 19 shots faced to improve his record to 4-4-2. The win marks Phaneuf’s first career victory over the Thunderbolts, and the first time in his SPHL career with wins in back-to-back outings.

Notes: Hoomaian’s goal is his first career game-winner…Gorman’s goal gives him a point in three straight contests…The win is Peoria’s second in three nights after they snapped a six-game losign streak with a 6-1 win against Knoxville on Sunday…The Rivermen return to action Friday night when they return home to Carver Arena to play host to the Thunderbolts…Friday’s game will be Peoria’s Fleece Blanket Giveaway night, with Rivermen Fleece Blankets handed out to the first 1000 fans courtesy of Unity Point Health Peoria…Friday’s game starts at 7:05 Central Time, and the broadcast of the game can be heard, starting with the pre-game show, at 6:45 p.m. 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)