Peoria Power Play Powers 4-1 Triumph
March 23, 2024 - 11:04 pm
EVANSVILLE, IN – Peoria’s power play powered the Rivermen to victory as Peoria locked up a top-two seed in the SPHL playoffs and rookie goaltender Gavin Abric secured his first pro victory in a 4-1 triumph at the Ford Center on Saturday night.
Peoria was humming right from the get-go, and on their first power-play opportunity found the back of the net. After a contested draw to the right of Evansville netminder Ty Taylor, Jordan Ernst picked up the puck from the scrum and rushed his way to the slot. Sending a back-handed shot on goal Taylor could not pick it up and saw it sail into the back of the the net for Peoria’s first of three power-play goals. Renat Dadadzhanov added an even-strength goal with a wrist shot from the right-wing point that sailed into the back of the net for the Russian rookie’s first goal in professional hockey. After Dante Zapata drew a double-minor for high-sticking the Rivermen power-play went back to work. Cayden Cahill had time and space on the right-wing circle and snipped a shot blocker-side on Taylor that put the Rivermen up 3-0 and prompted a goaltender change for Evansville. It did not help much as the Rivermen added on their third power-play goal soon afterward on a net-mouth scramble right in front as JM Piotrowski was able to despot the rebound to put the Rivermen up 4-0.
In the third period, Evansville found the back of the net on a short-handed two-on-one but that was all. The Rivermen allowed as Peoria secured the weekend split and locked up a top-two seed in the SPHL playoffs.
The Rivermen will get set for another road weekend as they travel to the Quad Cities for a series against the Storm. Face-off for both Friday and Saturday night’s games are set for 7:10 pm.
