Rivermen Snap Skid, Power Past Mayhem 6-3 Sunday

February 11, 2018 3:00 pm

Away | Regular

Macon Mayhem

Final
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Mayhem
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Rivermen
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Photo Credit: Bryan Meeks/Orbicular Media/Macon Mayhem

Rivermen Snap Skid, Power Past Mayhem 6-3 Sunday

Four first-period tallies help Peoria past Macon to wrap up road weekend

 

Macon, GA – The Peoria Rivermen scored four goals in the first period and got 34 saves from goaltender Peter Di Salvo as they knocked off the Macon mayhem 6-3 at the Macon Centreplex Sunday afternoon. The win, Peoria’s first in three games, lifts the Rivermen to 24-10-3 on the season, one point behind first-place Pensacola before next weekend’s three game series at home against Fayetteville.

 

The Mayhem started the scoring with a power-play tally near the midway point of the game’s first period. With Rivermen defenseman Dave Pszenyczny in the sin bin for slashing, Mayhem center John Siemer worked the puck to teammate Mike Moroso, whose drive beat Di Salvo for a 1-0 lead at 7:58 of the period.

 

The Rivermen tied the game with a power-play goal of their own just past the midway point of the period. With the puck on the left wing of the Mayhem zone, Rivermen center Joseph Widmar sent a pass netfront, where teammate Joe Kalisz’s backhander was turned aside by the pad of Macon goaltender Troy Passingham. The ensuing rebound was wrapped around the net and in by Peoria winger Keegan Bruce for a 1-1 score at 10:05 of the first.

 

The Rivermen took the lead as the game moved to the latter stages of the first period. With the teams playing at even strength, Peoria winger Ryan Siiro muscled the puck across the slot, and his backhander was redirected past Passingham by Bruce for a 2-1 Rivermen lead at 13:14 of the frame.

 

The Mayhem re-tied the game at two goals apiece with another power-play goal late in the first period. With Rivermen defenseman Stephen Gallo boxed for cross-checking, Mayhem defenseman Brandon Pfeil’s dump into the left corner sent Di Salvo behind the net. The puck caromed off the end boards into the low slot, where Mayhem winger Dennis Sicard pounced and put it into the unprotected goal at 15:44 of the period.

 

The Rivermen re-took the lead for good with an even-strength goal just 64 seconds after Sicard’s tally. Widmar carried the puck up the left-wing boards and into the Mayhem zone. Widmar’s pass to the middle was deflected by Rivermen winger Mike Gurtler and past Passingham for a 3-2 Rivermen lead at 16:48 of the frame.

 

Peoria pushed their lead to 4-2 with a power-play tally in the final minutes of the first period. After Mayhem captain Daniel Gentzler was issued a major penalty for fighting, the Rivermen cashed in when center Justin Greenberg’s lass from the right point was one-timed by teammate Will Smith past Passingham for the 4-2 score at 18:25 of the period.

 

The Mayhem pulled back to within a goal with a marker early in the second period. Moroso carried the puck into the left wing of the Rivermen zone, and his pass to the slot deflected off a Rivermen stick and got to teammate Jake Trask, who rifled a shot past Di Salvo for a 4-3 score at 4:23 of the period.

 

The Rivermen pushed their lead back to a two-goal edge just 18 seconds after Trask’s marker. With play ongoing in the neutral zone, Kalisz took a pass and carried into the slot of the Mayhem zone, stickhandling his way around a series of Mayhem defenders and popping a backhander past Passingham at 4:41 of the stanza, putting Peoria ahead 5-3 and chasing Passingham from the contest.

 

Peoria tacked on an insurance marker early in the game’s third and final frame. With Mayhem winger Dylan Denomme in the sin bin for tripping at 6:43 of the frame, Pszenyczny’s drive from the high slot of the Mayhem zone resulted in a rebound off the pad of new Macon goaltender Charlie Finn, and Gurtler popped it into the net for the eventual 6-3 final score.

 

Di Salvo stopped 34 of 37 shots faced in net for his first win since February 3 at Huntsville. The win lifts Di Salvo to 3-1-1 in five outings since joining the Rivermen, and 8-8-3 overall on the season.

 

Notes: Rivermen winger Joe McKeown logged his first pro point with an assist on Kalisz’s goal…Gurtler recorded his first multi-goal game since October 28 vs Birmingham…Bruce recorded a pair of goals for the first time since a November 18 game against Peoria as a member of the Birmingham Bulls…Greenberg posted two assists to extend his personal point streak to eight games…Kalisz notched a goal and an assist for his third straight multi-point game…The Rivermen return to action next weekend when they host a trio of games against the Fayetteville Marksmen Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Friday will be Paw Patrol night, with specialty jerseys worn by the Rivermen and “Marshall” on hand…Friday is also Peoria’s Jean-Guy Trudel Bobblehead Giveaway night, with a miniaturized version of the Rivermen bench boss handed out to the first 1,000 fans courtesy of Unity Point Health…Saturday is Peoria’s Hall of Fame Night, with former Rivermen forward Darren Clark inducted into the Peoria Professional Hockey Hall of Fame…Sunday is another PNC Family Fun Sunday at Carver Arena, with a special 3:05 start time, a pregame fun fest in the PCC Great Hall, discounted kids tickets, and a postgame skate with the Rivermen event on the Carver Arena Ice…Friday’s and Saturday’s games start at 7:15 PM, and the broadcast of those games can be heard, starting with the pre-game show, at 6:55 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)