Rivermen Blow Storm Away Friday

November 2, 2018 7:15 pm

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QuadCity Storm

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Photo Credit: Dennis Sievers/Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Blow Storm Away Friday

Peoria captures 6-2 victory on home opening night

 

Peoria, IL – The Peoria Rivermen scored 2:14 into the first period and never looked back as they beat the Quad City Storm 6-2 at Carver Arena Friday night. The win, Peoria’s third in a row, improves the Rivermen to 3-0-1 on the young season before tomorrow night’s rematch at Quad City.

The Rivermen opened the scoring with an even-strength marker early in the game’s opening period. With the puck at the point of the Quad City zone, Peoria defenseman Ralfs Grinbergs sent the puck behind the Storm net, where teammate Joe Kalisz collected it and sent a pass to the netfront, where Rivermen center Justin Greenberg snapped it home for a 1-0 Peoria lead at 2:14 of the frame.

 

Peoria built their lead to 3-0 with a pair of power-play goals in the middle stages of the first frame. With Storm defenseman Jake Schultz boxed for tripping, Peoria captain Alec Hagaman took the puck from the right-wing of the Quad City zone and slipped a pass across the low slot. Greenberg collected it at the left-wing post of the Storm zone and stuffed it past Quad City netminder Peter Di Salvo for a 2-0 advantage at 7:50 of the period. The Rivermen lead grew to 3-0 at 12:04 of the first period when, with Storm winger Al Graves in the sin bin for a trip, Rivermen winger Mark Petaccio deflected Hagaman’s wrister from the right circle past Di Salvo and into the net.

 

The teams traded goals in the game’s middle stanza. Quad City got on the board 4:59 into the period when Vinny Caligiuri’s one-timer sailed past Peoria goaltender Stephen Klein and into the back of the net for a 3-1 score. Peoria pushed their lead back to three goals at 19:29 of the period when Rivermen center Joseph Widmar danced his way down the slot and sent a low wrist shot past Di Salvo’s outstretched left leg for a 4-1 lead.

 

The Rivermen put the game out of reach with a goal early and another later in the third period. At 2:22 of the frame, Rivermen winger Ben Blasko entered the right wing of the Storm zone on a 2-on-1 break, faked a pass across the slot and then stuffed the puck under Di Salvo for a 5-1 lead. The Peoria lead grew to 6-1 at 15:41 of the period when Rivermen winger Joe Kalisz rifled a shot over the shoulder of new Storm netminder Eric Levine from the left circle. The Storm added a late power-play tally from center Mitchell Mueller at 18:53 of the third period for the eventual 6-2 final score.

 

Klein turned aside 20 of 22 shots faced to earn his second victory in as many outings. The win improves the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native to 2-0-0 in his pro career.

 

Notes: The crowd of 6,398 was Peoria’s largest for a home opener since October 19, 2012, when the Rivermen were the AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues…Greenberg tied a career single-game high with three points for the second straight game…Hagaman recorded two assists for his first multi-point game of the season since the season opener October 20 at Quad City…Petaccio recoded his second game-winning goal in as many outings for the Rivermen…The Rivermen return to action tomorrow night in a rematch against the Storm at the Taxslayer Center…The game will start at 7:10 PM, and the broadcast of the game can be heard, starting with the pregame show, at 6:50, at http://mixlr.com/peoria-rivermen/

 

Group, single game, and season tickets for Peoria's 37th 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)