SYS_MESSAGE

The Peoria Rivermen moved within eight points of a potential playoff spot with a 4-2 victory over the fourth-place Milwaukee Admirals at the Bradley Center on Sunday afternoon. Cam Paddock gave Peoria two different two-goal leads in the third period as Joe Fallon stopped 29 shots in his Rivermen debut. 

The win propelled the Rivermen over idle Houston and into a tie for fifth place with the San Antonio Rampage. Peoria will face San Antonio on Tuesday in the second game of their current seven-game trip. The Rivermen have two games in hand on the Rampage and one on the Admirals. 

A pair of rookies scored to give the Rivermen a 2-0 lead in the first period with Brett Sonne and Lars Eller both beating fellow freshman goaltender Chet Pickard. Sonne’s goal came just 4:41 into the opening period with the Rivermen on their first power play of the game. Justin Fletcher, who finished with two assists, blasted a shot from the left point that Julian Talbot tipped off of Pickard. Sonne was parked at the side of the goal to slam home his 10^th of the season and fifth power-play tally. 

Eller struck even-strength with 8:40 left with some fancy footwork and a great feed from Derek Armstrong. With his back to the goal, Eller turned around a ripped a one-timer past Pickard for his 12^th of the seaosn after Armstrong set him up in the slot with a pass from the blueline. It was the third goal in as many games for Eller who finished the week with six points (three goals, three assists) in three games. 

Milwaukee finished one-for-four on the power play and cut the Rivermen lead in half just 1:28 into the second. Julian Talbot was called for a high-sticking double-minor with just over a minute remaining in the first. The carry-over time allowed Jonathon Blum to score his eighth of the year as he converted the rebound from a blocked Dave Scatchard shot. 

The third period had just as many penalty minutes handed out as the first two combined but there were no more power plays with three offsetting minors delivered to each team. At 12:19, Peoria lost both Lars Eller and Derek Armstrong to coincidental minors but Paddock delivered his first of the game just over a minute later. It started with a Fletcher slapshot that was deflected over the goal and off the glass behind the net. It bounced directly to the side of the goal where Paddock was within reach and pushed across his seventh of the year. 

Pickard went to the bench with less than 2 minutes remaining in regulation and the extra-attacker helped the Admirals get back within one. Nick Spaling wristed one past Fallon, who was without a stick on the play, with 1:39 left. But it was Paddock who stole the puck away from Scatchard near his own blue line and lofted a long-range empty-netter for his first multi-goal game of his AHL career. His last two-goal game was Feb. 9, 2007 when he was with the Phoenix Roadrunners of the ECHL. 

Peoria’s three-game winning streak is their first since they won five in a row from Dec. 9-19.