Carvalho’s Pair Lifts Rivermen Over Mayhem Friday

Photo Credit: Dennis Sievers/Peoria Rivermen

Carvalho’s Pair Lifts Rivermen Over Mayhem Friday

Overtime winner vaults Rivermen past Macon

Peoria, IL – The Peoria Rivermen got a pair of goals from Jordan Carvalho, including the overtime winner with 25.4 seconds left in the extra period, as they topped the Macon Mayhem 2-1 at Carver Arena Friday night. The win, Peoria’s second in a row, lifts the Rivermen to 34-12-4 on the season with six games remaining in the regular season.

The Rivermen opened the scoring just prior to the midway point of the opening period. While working the puck in the Mayhem zone, Rivermen defenseman Kristaps Nimanis sent a wrister towards the net that was deflected by Peoria center Jordan Carvalho past a sprawling Macon goaltender Charlie Finn and into the back of the net for the 1-0 Rivermen edge at 8:20 of the first period.

The Mayhem evened the score early in the middle stanza when Macon winger Dylan Vander Esch worked the puck in the right corner of the Rivermen zone, and slipped a pass net front. Mayhem winger Jake Trask accepted the pass and snapped a one-timer between the pads of Rivermen netminder Mason Pulde to tie the score 1-1 at 6:32 of the second period.

The game remained tied through the remainder of the second and all of the third period and descended into overtime. The Rivermen netted the game winner in the closing seconds of the five minute three-on-three session. Rivermen winger Alec Hagaman raced into the Mayhem zone with Carvalho on a 2-on-1 break. Hagaman sent a pass from the right side of the slot to a waiting Carvalho, who rifled a wrister over Finn for the game winner with 25.4 seconds remaining in the extra frame.

Pulde earned the win between the pipes, stopping 27 of 28 shots faced. With the win, Pulde improves to 4-0-1 on the season, and captures a victory in his second straight starting assignment.

Notes: With an assist on the first Rivermen goal, Nimanis earned his first point in a Rivermen uniform…Carvalho has four points in his last five outings…Carvalho recorded his first career multi-goal outing…The win improves the Rivermen to 5-0 in overtime games this season after they finished 4-7 in OT last year…The Rivermen return to action Saturday night as they host the Mayhem in a rematch,  faceoff is set for 7:15 p.m.…Saturday is Hockey Fights Cancer night where the Rivermen will wear specialty jerseys to be auctioned off after the game….The broadcast of the game can be heard, starting with the pre-game show, at 6:55 p.m. at http://mixlr.com/peoria-rivermen/

Group, single game, and season tickets for Peoria's 36th 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)