'We want the Cup': Historic start sends Peoria Rivermen to brink of SPHL title
PEORIA — The Peoria Rivermen launched an historic attack in the first period Friday to put themselves on the brink of joining the franchise's legendary teams from bygone days.
It was pure shock-and-awe as the Rivermen left Roanoke dazed with five goals in the first 12:13 and raced to a 7-3 victory over the Dawgs in Game 2 of the SPHL President's Cup Finals before 3,209 at Carver Arena.
That crowd was in full-throated support during that dizzying wave of goals in the first period, then did the wave in the grandstand in the third period and, in the final 30 seconds of the game, stood and chanted "We want the Cup" as the Rivermen skated off on the verge of their first championship in 22 years with a 2-0 lead in the best-of-5 series.
"I've never seen this place like that," Rivermen center and SPHL MVP Alec Baer said. "It was amazing. The fans were such a big part of these two games, and they made it a very hard place to play for Roanoke."
BOX SCORE: Rivermen 7, Roanoke 3
More: Peoria Rivermen survive mad scramble in last seconds to win SPHL finals opener
Rivermen left Roanoke in shock
The Rivermen stunned Roanoke with perhaps the most dominant single period in Peoria's long playoff history, piling up five goals and driving Dawgs starting goaltender Sammy Bernard out of the net 7:20 after the opening faceoff.
The 5-goal effort was an SPHL record for most goals by one team in the first period of a playoff game. It was the second-most ever in any period of any playoff round (Columbus, 6, vs Fayetteville in 2009).
"All we did was win our two games here at home," Rivermen head coach Jean-Guy Trudel said. "We did our job. Now we have to go to Roanoke and try to win there.
"In Game 1 we won maybe three battles all night. Tonight we won three battles on the same shift. All year we've talked about the task at hand, and making sure everything we do, every day, is about getting better. That doesn't change in the playoffs.
"Tonight our guys got to the net, and that's who we are."
They were Jordan Ernst, who notched the first playoff hat trick in Peoria's SPHL play. And Baer, who had a goal and an assist. And Marcel Godbout, who had a goal and two assists and six shots. They were JM Piotrowski and Brandon Rumble and Mitch McPherson, each of whom had two assists.
"We stole Game 1 from them," Baer said. "We knew they were going to come at us harder in Game 2 and we were ready. It was just a great period, we did everything the right way."
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How the flurry of goals happened
Ernst gave Peoria a 1-0 lead when he skated out of the right circle toward the crease, leaped, and deflected a drive from Godbout past Bernard 2:30 after the opening faceoff.
Baer made it 2-0 at 6:24 when he pounced on a rebound from Godbout's initial shot and buried it from the bottom of the left circle.
Kasey Kulczycki walked down the slot 56 seconds later and beat Bernard for 3-0.
Austyn Roudebush took over the net for Roanoke, and the Rivermen stayed on the gas pedal and scored twice more in 36 seconds for a 5-1 lead and a standing ovation from the crowd as they skated off for the break.
Ernst got that fourth goal when he one-timed a bullet from the left circle past Roudebush and celebrated with his bow-and-arrow gesture while sliding on one knee at 11:37.
SPHL Rookie of the Year Godbout finished a two-on-one break, taking a feed across from Baer and beating Roudebush to the right post while on the fly in the right circle at 12:13.
Peoria captain Alec Hagaman added a goal midway through the second period for 6-1.
Ernst finished his hat trick in style with 49.5 seconds left in the game when he headed in on a breakaway and, with a defender catching up and draped on him, lifted a backhander over Roudebush to trigger a cascade of hats.
"It's a good feeling," Ernst said. "You can't get too high or too low, though. We still have games to play, and that's a good team over there."
River Readings
The Rivermen take their 2-0 series lead to Roanoke for Games 3 and 4 (if needed) on Monday and Tuesday. ... Peoria packed up and left by bus after the game Friday, heading on the 13-hour ride to Roanoke. ... The seven goals scored by the Rivermen tied for the third-most by one team in a playoff game in SPHL history. Among the teams they matched was their own seven-goal effort against Huntsville on April 22, 2017. The league record is nine. ... Peoria's five goals in the first period was the biggest single-period outburst seen in an SPHL playoff game in more than a decade. ... The Rivermen 7-3 victory in Game 2 over Roanoke matched the most goals scored in a playoff game by the Peoria franchise in the SPHL era. The Rivermen beat Huntsville 7-3 on April 22, 2017 in Game 3. One of those Rivermen goalscorers in that game was Dan Bremner, now coach of Roanoke. ... Former Rivermen assistant general manager Mickey Gray, now Roanoke team president, was in attendance. ... SPHL commissioner Doug Price was on hand. ... The Rivermen scratched wingers Robert Holyoke and Cayden Cahill.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: SPHL President's Cup Finals: Peoria Rivermen defeat Roanoke in Game 2
