Rivermen Roll Past Quad City 4-1

January 19, 2023 - 01:30 pm

MOLINE, IL –  It was a Thursday morning matchup where the Rivermen played they had all downed two cups of double espresso. An electric first period, and the defensive performance afterward, set the stage for a 4-1 Rivermen win over the Quad City Storm in their first meeting of the 2023 calendar year in Moline.

 

The Rivermen were skating as if they had caffeine in the morning as they were all over the Storm from the jump. They were rewarded with the game's first goal midway through the first period as Cayden Cahill spun away from pressure in the deep slot and sent a shot on the net. With traffic in front, Joseph Drapluk was able to get the deflection right on the doorstep and secure his 8th goal of the season and a  1-0 lead for Peoria. The Rivermen followed that up almost seven minutes later as Alec Hagaman led the Rivermen on a three-on-one rush. Skating on the right-wing side, Hagaman saw there was room on the near side of the net and rifled a wrist shot over the glove of Quad City goaltender Kevin Resop. Hagaman’s 13th of the season put Peoria up 2-0 after 20 minutes and also marked his fifth goal in six games.

 

Quad City surged in the second period, netting a goal off an odd-man rush just 99 seconds into the period. But Peoria weathered the storm, including a short-handed situation, and were rewarded with a goal at the mid-stages of the period. A Hagaman shot from the right half-boards produced a rebound in front. Dale Deon crashing in was able to bury the rebound for his third goal of the season and second in three games. Deon’s tally put momentum back in Peoria’s favor, who ended the second period not only with a 3-1 lead but with a power play that carried over to the third period.

 

The third period, like the second, saw Quad City again surge in hopes of gaining momentum with a quick goal. But the Rivermen defense held firm in the face of relentless offensive pressure. In the closing seconds of Regulation, Ben Assad netted an empty-net-goal to put the game away and put the Rivermen on the path to their fourth victory against Quad City in their last five meetings.

The Rivermen will travel back to Quad City on Friday, January 20 for their second straight meeting with the Storm before a Sunday home meeting with the Vermilion County Bobcats.