Rivermen Ride to 4th Straight Saturday

Photo Credit: Dennis Sievers/Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Ride to 4^th Straight Saturday

Hagaman nets game-winner 62 seconds into final period.

Moline, IL – The Peoria Rivermen earned their fourth straight victory Saturday night, beating the Quad City Storm 2-1 at the TaxSlayer Center. The win improves the Rivermen to 4-0-1 on the season, good for second place in the SPHL, two points behind first-place Macon before next weekend’s home games against Fayetteville.

The Rivermen opened the scoring with a goal early in the first period. Rivermen center Joseph Widmar carried the puck down the left wing of the Quad City zone, and sent a pass across the netfront. Veteran Rivermen winger Mike Gurtler redirected the puck past Storm goaltender Eric Levine for a 1-0 Peoria lead at 5:00 of the period.

The Storm tied the game at a goal apiece with a power-play tally just past the midway point of the game’s first period. With Peoria blueliner Brandon Rumble in the penalty box for high sticking, Storm defenseman Jake Schultz sent a crossing pass from the left-wing circle of the Rivermen zone, and Storm center Mitchell Mueller one-timed it from the right-wing past Peoria netminder Mason Pulde for a 1-1 score at 10:30 of the frame.

The Rivermen took the lead for good with the eventual game-winner 62 seconds into the game’s final period. Peoria defenseman Austin Frank sent a pass from the left point of the Quad City zone to the high slot, where Peoria winger Alec Hagaman fired a slap shot toward the Storm net. The puck missed the net, but caromed off the end boards, off Levine’s right leg, and into the back of the net for the 2-1 final score.

Pulde stopped 19 of 20 shots faced in net to earn his second straight victory between the pipes. With the win, Pulde improves to 2-0-1 on the season.

Notes: Peoria out-shot the Storm 43-20 for the game, and have out-shot their opponents in all five games this season…Storm winger Al Graves was suspended indefinitely prior to the game, and the Storm skated one player short of a full lienup…The Rivermen return to action next Friday and Saturday night when they host a pair of games against the Fayetteville Marksmen…Saturday will be Peoria’s annual Military Appreciation Night presented by the Illinois Air National Guard, with special American Flag-themed jerseys worn by the Rivermen and auctioned off postgame…Saturday will also be Peoria’s annual CityLink Stuff-A-Bus food drive, with fans bringing a nonperishable food item for donation receiving a free Rivermen T Shirt…Saturday will also feature an appearance by the Chicago Blackhawks Ice Crew…Friday’s and Saturday’s games will start at 7:15 PM, and the broadcasts of the games can be heard, starting with the pregame show, at 6:55, at http://mixlr.com/peoria-rivermen/

Group, single game, and season tickets for Peoria's 37th 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)