Peoria, IL – The Peoria Rivermen out-shot the Knoxville Ice Bears 38-18 but fell 2-0 to the Knoxville Ice Bears Saturday night at Carver Arena. Peoria’s second consecutive loss, and first regulation loss on home ice this season, drops them to 34-5-6 on the season before tomorrow afternoon’s weekend finale against the Quad City Storm.
The Ice Bears opened the scoring at 2:57 of the first period. Knoxville winger Lucas Bombardier’s shot from the right circle careened off Rivermen goaltender Stephen Klein’s blocker to Knoxville’s Stefan Brucato, who one-timed it into the Rivermen net, putting the Ice Bears ahead 1-0.
Knoxville doubled their lead just over five minutes into the second period. Knoxville winger Roberts Locans took a pass from teammate Scott Cuthrell and elevated a wrister from just inside the right circle past Klein for the 2-0 score.
The Rivermen produced several flurries of scoring chances in the final period, out-shooting Knoxville 13-6 in the final frame and 38-18 for the contest, but the Ice Bears and goaltender Cody Porter held off an extra-attacker surge for the final 90 seconds of the third period, earning Porter his first pro shutout. The shutout is the first clean-sheet against the Rivermen in 126 regular-season home games, dating back to a 3-0 loss to Pensacola November 29, 2014.
Notes: The Rivermen were shut out for the first time since a 4-0 loss at Pensacola February 12, 2017, a span of 122 regular-season games…The loss is Peoria’s first regular-season regulation defeat home since a 3-1 loss to Roanoke April 7 of last season…The Rivermen return to action tomorrow afternoon when they face the Quad City Storm at Carver Arena…Sunday is the season’s final Family Fun Kids Day of the 2018-19 schedule, presented by the Peoria Park District and the Peoria Journal Star…The Rivermen will have a pregame fan fest behind section 1 at Carver Arena beginning at 2:05 PM with inflatables provided by Fun On The Run, face painting by Wild Style Design, and balloon art by Unique Twist…Puck drop is set for 3:05…The broadcast can be heard, starting with the pregame show at 2:45 at http://mixlr.com/peoria-rivermen/
Photo Credit: Dennis Sievers/Peoria Rivermen
Article Credit: Peoria Rivermen
