Rivermen Force Decisive Game Five Following 5-0 Friday Win
April 24, 2026 - 10:11 pm
KNOXVILLE, TN – The Peoria Rivermen have forced a decisive Game Five in their President’s Cup Semifinal series with the Knoxville Ice Bears. It comes following a 5-0 shutout victory for the Rivermen on Friday night at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. JM Piotrowski, Cory Dennis, Jordan Ernst, and Garrett Devine all scored for the Rivermen while goaltender Nick Latinovich made 21 saves for his second shutout of the postseason.
With the best-of-five series tied 2-2, Game Five will take place on Sunday, April 26, at Carver Arena at 3:15 pm. The winner will advance to the President’s Cup Finals to take on the defending champion Evansville Thunderbolts. Tickets are available for purchase at the Rivermen office by calling 309-676-1040.
FIRST PERIOD
Coming into Friday night, the Rivermen had surrendered the first goal to the Ice Bears in all three previous outings. That changed in Game Four. While on the power play, Cory Dennis received a pass to the high slot from Kullan Daikawa. With room to pick his spot, Dennis walked in and rifled a wrist-shot in past Knoxville goaltender Stephen Mundinger. The goal marked Dennis’ first of the post-season and the first power-play goal of the playoffs for the Rivermen. Up 1-0 in the first period for the first time in the series, Peoria kept up the pressure as the period continued. JM Piotrowski, set up at the top of the right-wing circle, received the puck after a clean face-off win by Matt Wiesner, and Piotrowski wasted no time in firing a quick shot that sailed through traffic and into the net for Piotrowski’s third goal of the series.
SECOND PERIOD
Peoria kept the pressure on in the second period as just five minutes into the middle frame, the Rivermen struck again, thanks to Piotrowski. It all started just inside the Knoxville blue line along the left-wing boards. Daniel Chartrand made an excellent play to hold in the zone and sent a quick pass across the ice to Daikawa on the right-wing side. Daikawa skated to the circle before giving a centering feed to Piotrowski in the high slot. The Knoxville netminder was powerless to stop the quick snap-shot from the Dallas, Texas native as Piotrowski found the back of the net for the fourth time this series, and Peoria enjoyed a 3-0 lead. Jorden Ernst found the back of the net for the first time this postseason as he fired home a power-play shot from the left-wing circle to extend Peoria’s lead to 4-0.
THIRD PERIOD
The Rivermen added on another tally just 19 seconds into the third. Garrett Devine walked into the shot off of the opening face-off and fired a low shot past Stephen Mundinger for his third goal of the playoffs. That would end up being the end of the night for the Knoxville netminder, who finished with less than 30 saves for the first time this postseason. Peoria held on for a 5-0 victory, their largest margin of the playoffs, to even the series at two games apiece.
Photo: Claire Schaffner - Peoria Rivermen
