Manitoba Edges Peoria in Season Opener
Opponent: Manitoba Moose
Date: October 8, 2010 7:05
Score(Home/Away): 3-4 L
October 8, 2010
Graham Mink made a memorable debut with the Peoria Rivermen. He scored all three Rivermen goals in a 4-3 loss to the Manitoba Moose as the Rivermen opened the 2010-11 season at Carver Arena. Evan Oberg tallied two goals as Manitoba’s three-goal third period erased Mink’s effort and sent 7,205 fans home unhappy.
Manitoba drew first blood scoring early on the power play at the 3:13 mark in the first period. Manitoba center Jordan Schroeder parked himself at the half-wall and fired a pass through traffic finding streaking Oberg in the slot for the one-time finish.
The Rivermen promptly answered back though at 10:12. Stefan Della Rovere gathered a loose puck along the boards on the left side and threw the puck toward the goal where Graham Mink tipped one by Manitoba goaltender Tyler Weiman.
After, newly-named captain, Dean Arsene rang one off the post and a shot that hit the side of the cage that fooled the goal judge, the Rivermen tallied their first goal of the second period at 12:56. The play started with the puck on Nathan Oystrick’s stick at the point. Oystrick slid the puck to Hensick at the top of the right circle and Hensick snapped a shot low on the ice that Mink redirected through the five-hole for his second tally of the night, this time on the power-play.
Just 38 seconds into the third period Graham Mink completed the hat-trick by slamming the puck into Weiman’s pad on the goal line and forced it into the net. There was some confusion on whether the puck had crossed the line but after a conversation between the officials the Rivermen had a 3-1 lead early in the third.
Penalties caused some problems for Peoria in the third. Three of Manitoba’s seven power plays came in the first 9 minutes of the frame. Shortly after the Rivermen killed off a 5-on-3 disadvantage, Manitoba’s Victor Oreskovich put one by Ben Bishop off the post and in, pulling the Moose within one. Manitoba kept pushing and evened the score at three with 8:45 to go when Oberg tallied his second of the night on a wrister from the point that made its way by a heavily screened Bishop.
Four and a half minutes later Manitoba’s Kevin Connauton scored what proved to be the game winner on a wrist shot in the slot that beat Bishop through the legs. The Rivermen battled all the way to the finish almost capitalizing on two scoring chances, but Weiman and the Moose held on for a 4-3 victory.
Bishop finished with 29 saves in the loss while Weiman stopped 30.
The Rivermen will continue their season-opening three-game homestand on Sunday afternoon against the Milwaukee Admirals. The game is set for 3 p.m. and all kids tickets (12 and under) are just $1 in the upper bowl. Hot dogs, chips and cokes will be available for $1 each from 2-3 p.m.
Full-season, partial and mini ticket plans are all on sale. For more information visit www.rivermen.net, call 309-676-1040 or stop by the Rivermen office inside the Peoria Civic Center.
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