Rivermen Climb Out of Early Hole to Down Storm in Overtime Saturday

Photo Credit: Dennis Sievers/Peoria Rivermen

Rivermen Climb Out of Early Hole to Down Storm in Overtime Saturday

Will Smith records OT winner to cap comeback

Peoria, IL – The Peoria Rivermen erased a 3-0, second-period Saturday night and came back to beat the Quad City Storm 4-3 in overtime at Carver Arena. The win gives Peoria a win in their first preseason game since the 2013-14 season before they begin the regular season next Saturday night at Quad City.

The Storm jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on a natural hat trick from forward Taylor McCloy. Early in the first period, McCloy captured a loose puck in the high slot of the Rivermen zone and fired it past Peoria goaltender Braeden Ostepchuk for a 1-0 lead at 8:07 of the first period. The Stom doubled their lead at 14:26 of the frame when McCloy fired a shot past Ostepchuk from just above the right-wing corner. McCloy completed the hat trick 39 seconds into the second period when he sprung a breakaway and beat Ostepchuk for a 3-0 lead.

The Rivermen began their comeback just past the midway point of the second period. With a faceoff in the right circle of the Storm zone, Rivermen center Lane King won the draw back to Peoria defenseman Jake Flegel, who sent a pass down the blue line to defensive partner Cody Smith, whose wrister beat the glove of Quad City goaltender Matt Leon for a 3-1 score at 11:24 of the middle stanza.

Peoria continued chipping away and cut the Storm lead to a goal late in the second period. Rivermen center Austin Vieth deflected a Quad City pass from his own zone and raced down the ice with teammate Mike Gurtler on a 2-on-1. Gurtler one-timed Vieth’s cross-ice pass past Leon for a 3-2 score at 17:09 of the frame.

The Rivermen tied the game with a marker early in the third period. Peoria defenseman Domenico Argento’s shot from the left point misfired and trickled into the slot of the Quad City Zone, where Peoria center Ben Blasko corralled it and fed a pass to teammate Vincent Beaudry, who popped it past Leon for a 3-3 score at 2:15 of the period.

The Rivermen prevailed with a win in sudden-death overtime just past three minutes into the period. During the 3-on-3 frame, Blasko and teammate Will Smith broke into the Storm zone in a 2-on-1, and Blasko’s pass found Smith, who fired it past Leon for the win at 3:16 of overtime.

Ostepchuk took no decision in the game, stopping 13 of 16 shots faced in 29:21 of ice time. Relief goaltender Aaron Taylor earned the win, stopping all 10 shots he faced in regulation and overtime.

Notes: The win is Peoria’s first in three SPHL preseason efforts, dating back to two 5-4 losses to Bloomington prior to the 2013-14 season…The Rivermen out-shot Quad City 38-14 in the final two periods and overtime…The Rivermen return to action next Saturday when they open the regular season in Quad City against the Storm at 7:10 PM…The broadcast of the game can be heard, starting with the pregame show, at 6:50 PM, at 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)