Three-Goal Pensacola Third Dooms Rivermen Friday

February 10, 2017 7:05 pm

Away | Regular

Pensacola Ice Flyers

Final
3
2
1
Ice
6
2
2
1
Rivermen
3
0
3
0

Photo Credit: Keith Wallace/Jurrasic Photo

Three-Goal Pensacola Third Dooms Rivermen Friday

Olivieri’s pair not enough as Rivermen drop second straight

 

Pensacola, FL – The Peoria Rivermen and Pensacola Ice Flyers were tied 3-3 through two periods before three third-period Pensacola goals lifted the Ice Flyers to a 6-3 win at the Pensacola Bay Center Friday night. The loss, Peoria’s second straight, drops the Rivermen to 18-8-7 with two games remaining in the current road trip at Pensacola.

 

The Ice Flyers started the scoring with a power play goal in the game’s first period. With Cody Dion in the penalty box for boarding, Nathan Bruyere’s wrister from the top of the right circle squeaked past Rivermen goaltender Storm Phaneuf to give the Ice Flyers a 1-0 lead at the 15:30 mark of the period.

 

The Rivermen tied the game as the teams traded goals early in the second period. At the 2:44 mark of the period, Rivermen center Michael Colantone’s shot trickled by Pensacola netminder Matt Zenzola, and Peoria defenseman Don Olivieri put the loose puck into the net for a 1-1 score at 2:44 of the second. The Ice Flyers took a 2-1 lead at 3:07 of the period when Pensacola captain Corey Banfield tipped Sean Gammage’s drive from atop the slot by Phaneuf. Peoria retied the game just 15 seconds later when Cody Dion stole a puck in the Pensacola zone and flicked a shot past Zenzola for an unassisted tally.

 

The Rivermen took their first lead of the night just past the midway point of the contest. With the Rivermen rushing into the Pensacola zone, Rivermen winger Alec Hagaman slipped a pass from atop the left circle to Olivieri on the right post, and Olivieri converted past Zenzola for a 3-2 Peoria lead at 10:20 of the third period.

 

The Ice Flyers tied the game late in the third period. At the 17:19 mark of the third, Ice Flyers forward Louis Belisle popped a shot over Phaneuf’s shoulder for a 3-3 score that would remain until the third period.

 

The Ice Flyers took the lead for good and added on in the third period. 17 seconds into the period, Pensacola center Aaron Clarke redirected an Evan Moore drive from atop the slot past Phaneuf for a 4-3 Ice Flyers lead. Pensacola build their lead to 5-3 at 8:05 of the period with a power play goal from Patrick Megannety with Peoria defenseman Rich Ledy boxed for cross-checking. Pensacola put the game on ice with an empty-net goal by Megannety at 19:29 of the third for the eventual 6-3 final.

 

Phaneuf stopped 36 of 41 shots faced in net to take the loss. The defeat drops Phaneuf to 2-4-1 on the season as he set single-game season and career highs in saves and shots faced.

 

Notes: Olivieri’s pair of goals marks his third multi-goal game since joining the Rivermen…Olivieri also has five goals in his last three games after he posted a hat trick against Mississippi last Friday…The Rivermenand Ice Flyers return to action tomorrow night when they rematch with the second contest in their three-game series at the Pensacola Bay Center…Saturday’s game starts at 7:05 Central Time…The broadcast of the game can be heard, starting with the pre-game show, at 6:45 p.m. 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)