Rivermen Rebound From Early Deficit, Fall in Overtime Friday

April 21, 2017 7:00 pm

Away | Post

Huntsville Havoc

Final
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Rivermen
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Photo Credit: Huntsville Havoc

Rivermen Rebound From Early Deficit, Fall in Overtime Friday

4-3 Huntsville victory forces Game 3 Saturday night in Peoria

 

Huntsville, AL – The Peoria Rivermen battled back from a 2-0 first-period deficit to take a 3-2 lead before the Huntsville Havoc pulled their goaltender, tied the game, and prevailed in sudden death overtime Friday night in Huntsville. The loss, Peoria’s first of the postseason, forces a decisive Game 3 in Peoria tomorrow night, with the winner moving on to face the Macon Mayhem in the Presidents Cup Finals.

 

The Havoc started the scoring with a power-play tally early in the first period. With Rivermen captain Dan Bremner in the box for interference, the puck was dumped in behind the Rivermen net. After Peoria goaltender Storm Phaneuf went behind his cage to play it, the puck took an awkward bounce off the end boards and Havoc winger Christian Powers pounced on it, firing the puck into the unprotected Rivermen net for a 1-0 lead at 4:57 of the period.

 

The Havoc doubled their lead late in the first with another man-advantage tally. With Rivermen forward Adam Stuart in the sin bin for slashing, Huntsville center Scott Fellnermayr’s drive was blocked by a Peoria skater, and the rebound kicked to the top of the right-wing circle, where Havoc forward Mike Piluso fired it over Phaneuf’s right shoulder for a 2-0 lead at 19:42 of the period.

 

The Rivermen got on the board and cut the Huntsville lead in half with a tally late in the second period. With the puck at the right point of the Havoc zone, Rivermen defenseman Brandon Greenside’s drive toward the net was batted down by fellow Peoria blueliner Christian Weidauer, and it squirted to Rivermen winger Connor Gorman, who dunked it past Huntsville goaltender Tyler Steel at 19:34 of the second for a 2-1 score.

 

The Rivermen tied the game and took the lead with a pair of goals early in the third period. With the puck on the left wing of the Huntsville zone, Gorman worked his way to the corner, played the puck away from Havoc defenseman Michael Holland, and banked it in off of Steel’s body to tie the game at 2 with 17:20 to play in regulation. The Rivermen took their first lead of the night 4:09 later when Rivermen winger Alec Hagaman fired a loose puck from the Huntsville slot past Steel for a 3-2 edge at 6:49 of the third.

 

The Rivermen held the lead until the Havoc broke through with an extra attacker in the game’s final minute. With Steel off in favor of a sixth skater, Havoc defenseman Ben Kramer sent a pass from the right point to the left wing, where teammate Justin Tateson collected and fired a shot past Phaneuf for a 3-3 score with 55 seconds to go in the third.

 

Play raged back and forth in overtime before the Havoc ended the game 11:48 into the first sudden-death period. With the puck behind the Peoria goal line, Havoc center Steven Phee carried the puck out of the left corner, and his short-side attempt snuck under the pads of Phaneuf for the 4-3 victory.

 

Phaneuf stopped 30 of 34 shots in the overtime loss. The defeat is Phaneuf’s first in his postseason career, and drops him to 0-1-1 lifetime against the Havoc.

 

Notes: Gorman posted two goals and an assist for his second career three-point game, and his first since November 18 in Knoxville…Hagaman’s goal is his first since Peoria’s playoff opener against Knoxville April 12…The Rivermen and Havoc return to action tomorrow night when they play a decisive Game 3 at Carver Arena in the Peoria Civic Center, with puck drop set for 7:05…Tickets for the game will go on sale first thing Saturday morning morning through the Rivermen office, available by calling (309)-676-1040…The broadcast of the game can be heard, starting with the pre-game show at 6:45 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)