Rivermen Play Spoiler, Rally for 5-3 Win in Huntsville Saturday

February 3, 2018 7:00 pm

Away | Regular

Huntsville Havoc

Final
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Havoc
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Rivermen
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Photo Credit: Chris Shimek/Huntsville Havoc

Rivermen Play Spoiler, Rally for 5-3 Win in Huntsville Saturday

Three-goal third period lifts Rivermen on Melissa George Foundation Night in Huntsville

 

Huntsville, AL – The Peoria Rivermen used a three-goal third period, and a three-point night from Alec Hagaman, as they erased a 3-2 third-period deficit to top the Huntsville Havoc 5-3 on Melissa George Foundation night in Huntsville Saturday. The win lifts the Rivermen 23-9-2 on the season, three points behind first-place Pensacola before next weekend’s three-game trip to Birmingham and Macon.

 

The Rivermen started the scoring with an early goal in the first period. Rivermen winger Keegan Bruce took a pass from teammate Cody Smith and skated through the neutral zone, entering the left wing of the Huntsville zone. Bruce hesitated, then sent a pass to the right-wing post, where Peoria winger Alec Hagaman redirected the puck past Havoc netminder Keegan Asmundson for the 1-0 Rivermen lead 1:22 into the contest.

 

The Havoc tied the game and took a lead with a pair of goals in the second half of the first frame. With a faceoff at the right-wing circle of the Rivermen zone, Havoc center Scott Trask won the draw back to the blue line, and Huntsville defenseman Derek Perl’s drive found its way through traffic and past Peoria netminder Peter Di Salvo for a 1-1 score at 11:11 of the period. The Havoc took a 2-1 lead at the 16:45 mark of the frame when Havoc blueliner Skyler Smutek’s drive from the high slot caromed off several bodies before Havoc center Sy Nutkevitch put it into the net.

 

Peoria re-tied the game with a power-play marker just before the midway point of the contest. With Huntsville center Shawn Bates in the sin bin for interference, Rivermen winger Will Smith carried through Huntsville’s left-wing circle, played catch with teammate Ryan Siiro waiting in the corner, and fired a shot over Asmundson’s shoulder for a 2-2 score 9:56 into the second stanza.

 

The Havoc re-took the lead with a goal in the second half of the second period. One second after Rivermen winger Alec Hagaman came out of the box for a roughing infraction, Huntsville winger Stephen Hrehoriak collected a bouncing puck in the slot of the Rivermen zone and shot it past Di Salvo for a 3-2 lead at the 12:34 mark of the period.

 

The Rivermen tied the game at three with a power-play goal early in the third period. With Havoc defenseman Andy Willigar in the box for tripping, Rivermen winger Connor Gorman held the puck in the right-wing corner of the Havoc zone, and sent a pass to the slot, where teammate Joe Kalisz carried across the netfront and shoveled a backhander over Asmundson’s right pad for the 3-3 score at the 1:26 mark of the third.

 

The Rivermen took the lead for good with another power-play tally late in the third period. With Havoc defenseman Peter Sikalis in the box for holding, Hagaman uncorked a blast from the right point that threaded the needle through traffic and beat Asmundson for a 4-3 Rivermen edge at 15:26 of the frame.

 

The Rivermen held their 4-3 lead into the game’s final minute, when the Rivermen tacked on an empty-net goal. With Asmundson on the bench for an extra skater, Rivermen winger Ryan Siiro corralled the puck at the left-wing circle of the Rivermen zone, and fired a shot the length of the ice into the empty net for the 5-3 final.

 

Di Salvo stopped 25 of 28 shots faced in net to earn his second win in as many games with the Rivermen. The victory lifts Di Salvo to 7-7-3 overall on the season in 19 outings between Peoria and Fayetteville.

 

Notes: Hagaman recorded three points in the game, marking his first such outburst since December 23 against Roanoke…Siiro added two assists to his empty-net goal for his first career three-point night…Kalisz’s goal is his first point in five games since joining the Rivermen via trade…Bruce notched an assist on Hagaman’s first goal to extend his point-streak to five games…Pszenyczny tallied an assist to give him seven in his last three games…The Rivermen return to action next Friday when they begin a three-game road weekend in Birmingham, AL against the Bulls at 7:35 PM…The broadcast of the game can be heard, starting with the pre-game show, at 7:15 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)