Rivermen Clinch First Place With 2-1 Win Friday

Photo Credit: Kat Martin/Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs

Rivermen Clinch First Place With 2-1 Win Friday

Kalisz, Hagaman score as Peoria battles past Roanoke

Roanoke, VA – The Peoria Rivermen scored in the game’s third minute and never lost the lead Friday night as they beat the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 2-1 at the Berglund Center. The win, Peoria’s fourth in their last five outings, clinches Peoria’s third regular season points title in the last four seasons with three games left in the regular season schedule.

The Rivermen opened the scoring with a goal early in the first period. With play ongoing in the Roanoke zone, Rivermen center Jordan Carvalho held the puck in at the left point, and sent a pass through the left-wing circle to teammate Joe Kalisz, who deked out Rail Yard Dawgs goaltender Brad Barone and stuffed the puck into the net for a 1-0 Peoria lead 2:46 into the contest.

Peoria doubled their lead with another goal early in the third period. Peoria winger Connor Gorman intercepted a pass in the high slot of his own zone, and sent a pass ahead to center for teammate Alec Hagaman, who sprung a breakaway into the Roanoke zone, sending a forehand over Barone’s outstretched pad and into the net for the 2-0 lead at 2:58 of the third.

The Rail Yard Dawgs cut the Rivermen lead to one with an extra-attacker goal in the game’s final minute. With Barone off for an extra skater, Roanoke winger Maxime Guyon sent a shot from the high slot that caromed in off teammate Collin Murray’s skate and past Peoria goaltender Tyler Parks for the eventual 2-1 final score at 19:33 of the frame.

Parks earned the win in net for the Rivermen, stopping 24 of 25 shots faced. The win marks Parks’ first victory in net since January 27 at Evansville, and improves to 11-3-2 on the season.

Notes: The win assures Peoria of their third first-place finish in the last four regular seasons…Hagaman’s goal marks his team-leading 23^rd of the season, and ties him for the team lead with five game-winning goals…The Rivermen return to action tomorrow night when they rematch the Rail Yard Dawgs at the Berglund Center at 6:05 PM Central Time… Saturday’s game can be heard, starting with the pre-game show, at 5:45 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)