Nagy’s Shootout Goal Gives Peoria 3-2 Win in Roanoke

Rivermen take first game of three-in-three 

Photo credits: Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs

Roanoke, VA – Regan Nagy got credit for his first professional goal; a shootout game-winning-goal scored Thursday night in the Rivermen’s 3-2 shootout win over the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs inside Berglund Center.

Peoria improves to 29-6-4, while Roanoke earned a standings point and currently sit 13-20-7. Eric Levine made 29 saves for his 20^th win of the season. Austyn Roudebush made 34 saves for the Rail Yard Dawgs.

A fast start for Roanoke offered a number of chances inside the first near half of the opening period, before Josh Nenadal was spotted for charging. The Rivermen wouldn’t convert on the power play, but seconds after scored the game’s first goal. Jordan Ernst fired a puck to the end boards behind Roudebush, but the puck bounced back in front of the goal where Mitch McPherson was positioned to slam to the goal, getting the score 1-0.

The Rivermen doubled their lead just 15 seconds into the middle frame. After Zach Nieminen danced his way into the attacking zone, Robin Hoglund helped keep the puck onside at the right half-wall, finding Nieminen, who at this point parked himself in-between the circles for a drive that gave him goals in three straight and 11 on the season.

Roanoke cut the deficit in half near the midway point of regulation. On a strange hop behind the boards near Levine, Brant Sherwood chopped at a puck from inside the trapezoid, causing it to flick in front, off the back of Levine’s leg and in. The club would tie Peoria, 2-2 when Nenadal scored on a wraparound goal with over nine minutes left in regulation.

Fast forward to overtime and the biggest moment of the game would occur. Defenseman Nick Neville raced down the wing, beating Jeff Jones to the net of Roudebush. Jones took Neville down as he was alone in front, resulting in a penalty shot being awarded. With 1:52 left, Neville’s shot would be denied by Roudebush, eventually forcing the game to a shootout.

Levine did not surrender a goal in the shootout. The lone tally came from rookie forward, Regan Nagy, who in the fourth round made a subtle toe drag from his forehand to backhand, then roofed a shot by Roudebush for the 3-2 final. The goal counts on the stat sheet, giving Nagy the first goal of his professional career.

NOTES: The Rivermen killed four penalties in the game, including a double-minor assessed to Nagy in the first for high-sticking…The Rivermen outshout Roanoke in the second period by a 20-12 margin…Jordan Carvalho played his first game in Roanoke since leaving the Rail Yard Dawgs in the offseason to return to Peoria…The two teams engage again Friday night with a 6 p.m. scheduled puck drop. The broadcast of the game can be heard, at http://mixlr.com/peoria-rivermen/ starting with the pre-game show at 5:50 p.m. CST.

Group and single game 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)