December 27, 2019 7:15 pm

Home | Regular

Roanoke R.Y. Dawgs

Final
3
2
1
R.Y.
2
2
0
0
Rivermen
5
2
1
2

Hagaman’s Hat Trick Lifts Rivermen To 5-2 Win Over Roanoke

Hagaman’s hat trick helps Peoria to 15th win of season in game 20

Photo credits: Dennis Sievers

 

Peoria, IL – The Peoria Rivermen and Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs faced off for the first time since their playoff meeting earlier this Spring, and the Rivermen scored early and never let up in front of 2,969 fans at Carver Arena en route to a 5-2 win. Alec Hagaman had a hat trick as the Rivermen stood strong on a late push by Roanoke. The win improves Peoria to 15-2-3 on the season and keeps them in the top spot in the SPHL standings.

 

The Rivermen jumped out to a lead on a pair of first period goals, each by captain Alec Hagaman. Hagaman’s first tally came with the Rivermen on the power play, with Roanoke defenseman Travis Armstrong in the box for slashing the Rivermen cycled the puck in their offensive zone. Nick Neville controlled the puck at the blue line and fed a pass to Hagaman who fired a wrist shot from the right circle that clanked off the cross bar, off the goal post and into the net behind Roanoke goaltender, Ian Sylves for the 1-0 Rivermen lead at 9:30 of the first period.

 

Hagaman recorded his second goal of the frame just minutes later while on a 2-on-2 breakout with Brandon McMartin. Hagaman raced through the neutral zone, with McMartin on his left, cut through the circle and looked to McMartin who got tripped up on his way towards the net. Hagaman then slid the puck under the legs of Sylves for the even strength goal and 2-0 Rivermen edge at 12:58 of the first period.  

 

Peoria added to their lead in the closing seconds of the middle period when Zach Nieminen fired a backhand shot on goal. Sylves stopped the initial shot, but Rivermen defenseman Jake Hamilton was stationed at the left post and jammed the puck into the back of the net for the 3-0 Rivermen advantage, serving as a “buzzer beater” at 19:59 of the second period. 

 

Roanoke got on the board in the early stages of the third period when center Colton Wolter took a feed from Travis Armstrong and buried it past Rivermen goaltender Eric Levine to cut the Rivermen lead to 3-1 at 6:09 of the third stanza.

 

The Rivermen kept momentum going as Cody Dion took a pass from Alec Baer and slipped the puck past Sylves for a power play goal and 4-1 Rivermen lead at 6:09 of the third period.

 

Roanoke cut the Rivermen lead in half just past the midway point of the third period when Mac Jansen found Wolter for the second time in the period, beating Levine at 10:24 to cut the Rivermen lead to 4-2.

 

 

The Rivermen sealed the win late in the third period when Hagaman broke into the Roanoke zone with teammate Johan Hoglund, slid a pass to Hoglund, then Hoglund sent a pass across the slot to Hagaman, who snapped a shot from below the right circle for the 5-2 Rivermen lead at 15:36 of the third period.

 

Levine earned the win between the pipes, stopping 29 of 31 shots faced in the contest. with the win Levine improves to 10-0-3 on the season. 

 

 

Notes: Hagaman played in his 300th game with the Rivermen Friday night, which includes all regular and post season games….Brandon McMartin has seven points in seven games with the Rivermen….Johan Hoglund picked up his first point in a Rivermen uniform in the contest….The Rivermen return to action tomorrow night as they rematch the Roanoke Rail yard Dawgs at Carver Arena…Saturday night is Jimmy Buffett night, presented by Reggae Wines…The Rivermen will wear special Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville Jerseys with a post-game auction….Puck drop for Friday’s game is scheduled for  7:15 p.m. CST….The broadcast of the game can be heard, at http://mixlr.com/peoria-rivermen/ starting with the pre-game show, at 7:00 p.m. CST.

 

Group, single game, and season tickets for Peoria's 38th season of professional hockey presented by Midwest Orthopaedic Center are on sale at the Toyota Box Office in the Peoria Civic Center, 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)