Peoria Powers Through Quad City for Fifth Straight Victory
December 31, 2023 - 06:30 pm
PEORIA, IL – The Peoria Rivermen extended their winning streak to a season-long five games as their top line of Alec Hagaman, Alec Baer, and JM Piotrowski powered the Rivermen to a 6-4 victory over the Quad City Storm on Sunday afternoon at Carver Arena.
Peoria got off to a quick start as Alec Hagaman was able to find the back of the net after a tic-tac-toe play in the offensive zone. As he skated to the right, Hagaman’s pass into the middle deflected to the late trailer Alec Baer, Baer then snapped a quick pass to JM Piotrowski at the let-side dot. Piotrowski then sent a quick pass to the front where Hagaman deflected the puck into a wide-open net to put the Rivermen up 1-0. Quad City answered after a quick snapshot beat goaltender Nick Latinovich to tie the game 1-1. Then Zach Wilkie answered back as he got the puck to the net on a two-on-two play up the ice. Though Wilkie’s initial shot was saved he picked up his own rebound at the side of the net and stuffed it in short-side for his second in two games.
Again the Storm answered with a tying goal and that resulted in the second, goaltender change in two days for Peoria as Nick Latinovich was pulled in favor of Brendahn Brawley. With just over six minutes left in the first period, Baer was able to get off a hard shot from the high slot that Brkin saved with his shoulder, but the puck deflected straight up and then straight down and bounced into the net to put the Rivermen on top 3-2.
The Rivermen continued their offensive attack as Alec Hagaman was able to stuff in his second goal of the night in the first five minutes of the second period. This was followed up by Alec Baer’s second of the game from a hard shot from the top of the left-wing circle while on the power play that beat Brkin's glove side to put Peoria up 5-2. Quad City was able to get one goal back from a deflected point shot, but the Rivermen held their 5-3 lead going into the third period.
Cale List’s point shot found the back of the net off of a deflection in the first minute of the third period to put the Rivermen up 6-3 and though the Quad City Storm were able to get one back late, it was too little too late as the Rivermen improved to their fifth straight win with a 6-4 triumph over Quad City to close out 2023 on a five-game winning streak.
“We’ve started to see glimpses of the process coming together,” said Rivermen Assistant Coach Eric Levine. Tonight was probably our most complete game and it's nice to see everything really round together.
The Rivermen will open 2024 on the road in Pensacola on Thursday before the start of five straight games against the Huntsville Havoc.
Photo: Eliziabeth Maier - Peoria Rivermen
