Peoria Upset by Storm 4-3 in Overtime
November 3, 2023 - 10:35 pm
PEORIA, IL – Upsets happen in sports, that’s just the nature of competition. But when they happen in rivalry games it makes it sting all the more. The Peoria Rivermen (3-0-1) were upset 4-3 in overtime by the Quad City Storm (2-3-0) on Friday night in front of an announced crowd of 3318 at Carver Arena.
“We got what we deserved tonight, said Rivermen head coach Jean-Guy Trudel. “We didn’t show up in the morning skate, we didn’t show up in the game and even if we came back it didn’t matter.”
Peoria dominated the shots-on-goal counter, 17-5 but they trailed after the first period as two Quad City goals sandwiched a Jordan Ernst goal late in the first period that was set up via a crossing play from Cayden Cahill who dropped the puck to Ernst as he skated left over the Quad City blue line to Ernst who skated right and fired in a quick wrist shot into the back of the net.
The Storm extended their lead in the early stages of the second period as they Tommy Tsicos capitalized off of a rebound to put the Storm up 3-1. Despite out-shooting the Storm again in the second period, the Rivermen were frustrated by both Strom goaltender Kevin Resop and the goal post. But their persistence paid off as JM Piotrowski, with 19 seconds left in the period, caught a pass at the right dot and in one motion released a quick shot that found the top-shelf over Resop’s shoulder to pull the Rivermen within one going into the third period.
In the third period, the Rivermen continued to push and were rewarded with a late goal to tie the game as Chad Lopez deflected the puck behind the net toward the front. It then bounced off of the back of goaltender Resop and into the net to the game at 3-3.
Peoria settled for overtime and had several chances at the net, but took a bench minor for too many men on the ice, giving Quad City a four-on-three advantage. It was all that they needed as Leif Mattson fired in the game-winner just off of the right post from the circle to win the game 4-3 in overtime.
The Rivermen took their first loss on the season on home ice, 4-3 in overtime, the Rivermen have surrendered their last two overtime games on home ice dating back to last season. Though it is their first loss of the season, that is not stopping Coach Trudel from making sure lessons are learned by this team as they get set to face Evansville next Friday night at Carver Arena.
“We’re going to make men, Trudel said of next week’s practice in preparation for the Thunderbolts. “We’re going to make pros.”
