Dawgs Run Past Rivermen Saturday to Capture Regular Season Finale

Photo Credit: Dennis Sievers/Peoria Rivermen

Dawgs Run Past Rivermen Saturday to Capture Regular Season Finale

Peoria wraps up regular schedule with 3-1 loss to Roanoke

Peoria, IL – The Peoria Rivermen mustered only one power-play goal and never led Saturday as they fell 3-1 to the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs at Carver Arena. The loss gives the Rivermen at 38-13-5 mark to finish the regular season, good for first place in the SPHL and first choice in Sunday’s Challenge Round Selection.

The Rail Yard Dawgs started the scoring with a short-handed tally early in the game’s middle period. With Roanoke defenseman Patrick Harrison in the box for roughing, Rivermen center Joseph Widmar had a pass hop over his stickblade in neutral ice, and Rail Yard Dawgs center Zach Tatrn pounced, skating into the Rivermen zone on a breakaway and beating Peoria goaltender Mason Pulde for the 1-0 lead at 2:09 of the period.

The Rivermen tied the game with a goal of their own later in the same power-play sequence. With Harrison still in the sin bin, Rivermen winger Keegan Bruce collected the puck in the right corner of the Roanoke zone, and sent it to the top of the right-wing circle, where Peoria defenseman Cody Smith fired a wrister past the blocker of Dawgs netminder Brad Barone for a 1-1 score at 5:02 of the frame.

The Dawgs retook the lead for good with an even-strength goal nearing the midway point of the contest. Rail Yard Dawgs center Steve Mele carried the puck around the back of the Rivermen net and out of the left-wing corner, feeding a pass to teammate Matt Beer, who fired it past Pulde from the slot for a 3-1 lead at 8:25 of the frame.

The Rail Yard Dawgs added an insurance tally early in the third period. Roanoke winger Phil Bronner carried the puck out of the right corner of the Peoria zone, and his short backhander from the bottom of the circle popped over Pulde’s blocker for the eventual 3-1 final at 2:05 of the third.

Pulde took the loss in net, stopping 25 of 28 shots faced to fall to 6-1-1 on the season. The loss marks Pulde’s first regulation defeat between the pipes as a professional.

Notes: The Rivermen skated one player short of a full lineup and sat captain Dave Pszenyczny, leading scorer Alec Hagaman, winger Connor Gorman, and center Justin Greenberg…Peoria native Nate Chasteen and Hamline University product Brandon Reinholz each played the second game of their amateur tryout contracts…Smith’s goal is his first since February 17 against Fayetteville…The Rivermen are scheduled to host their watch party for the first ever SPHL Challenge Round Selection Show in the Coca Cola Lobby in Carver Arena tomorrow afternoon, with the party starting at 5:30 PM Central Time and the broadcast beginning at 6:30…Admission is free to all, and Rivermen players, coaches, and staff will be on hand to interact with fans as Peoria selects their Challenge Round opponent…All of Peoria’s Challenge Round and remaining postseason games can be heard, starting with the pre-game show 20 minutes prior to puck drop, 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)