Rivermen Drop 4-1 Game to Fayetteville Sunday

Photo Credit: Addison Blair

Rivermen Drop 4-1 Game to Fayetteville Sunday

Bonar’s shutout bid broken with 5:27 left in final period

Fayetteville, NC – The Peoria Rivermen surrendered pairs of goals in each of the first two periods and fell 4-1 to the Fayetteville FireAntz at the Crown Coliseum Sunday. The loss, Peoria’s first in regulation since February 12, helps the FireAntz into a third place tie with the Rivermen, three points behind first-place Macon and Huntsville.

The FireAntz started the scoring during 4-on-4 play early in the first period. With a faceoff in the Rivermen zone, the FireAntz worked the puck down to forward Jake Hauswirth at the edge of the Peoria crease, and he shoveled the puck under the pads of Rivermen goaltender Storm Phaneuf for a 1-0 lead at 3:01 of the period.

The FireAntz doubled their lead at the 12:29 mark of the period. After Hauswirth’s shot from the left wing went wide of the Peoria net, Max Cook battled it free from the trapezoid and set it out to the slot, where Evan Dixon swatted it past Phaneuf for the 2-0 lead.

The FireAntz extended their lead with a pair of power-play goals in the second period. After Tyler Parks replaced Phaneuf in the Rivermen net to start the period, the FireAntz went on the power play at 7:36 of the period when Cody Dion was hauled off for hooking. With the puck on the left wing of the Rivermen zone, FireAntz forward Bobby Chaumont passed the puck across the slot, where Antz defenseman Nicholas Rivait snapped a one-timer past Parks for a 3-0 Fayetteville lead at 8:24 of the second. 2:18 later, with Rivermen defenseman Brandon Greenside boxed for Delay of Game, the puck was scrummed into the left corner boards of the Rivermen zone. After it was worked free to the slot, Rivait settled and fired it past Parks for a 4-0 Fayetteville lead at 10:42 of the second.

The Rivermen got on the board against Fayetteville goaltender Sean Bonar at 14:33 of the third period. With FireAntz players Brad Campagna (high sticking) and Rivait (Delay of Game) in the sin bin and the Rivermen on a 5-on-3 manpower advantage, Peoria worked the puck low in the zone to the left-wing post, where Peoria winger Adam Stuart dunked a pass by Bonar for the eventual 4-1 final score.

Phaneuf took the loss in goal, stopping seven of nine shots faced in net before being pulled. Parks stopped seven of nine shots he faced in the final two periods of relief. With the loss, Phaneuf drops to 8-5-2 on the season.

Notes: The defeat in regulation is Peoria’s first since a 4-0 loss at Pensacola, snapping a string of 11 straight games with a point or more…The loss snaps Phaneuf’s six-game personal win streak…Stuart’s goal is his first since he scored one February 24 against Evansville…The Rivermen return to action next Friday night when they make their season’s only trip to the Berglund Center in Roanoke, VA to open a two-game series with the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs… Friday’s game starts at 6:05 Central Daylight Time, and the broadcast of the game can be heard, starting with the pre-game show, at 5:45 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)