From: Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Sunday, December 3, 2006
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)

Rivermen 4, Aeros 1
Official Box Score

HOUSTON, Texas – Peter Sejna tallied a goal and three assists, and linemates Mike Glumac and Charles Linglet each added a goal and two assists, as the Peoria Rivermen remained hot by defeating the Houston Aeros 4-1 at Carver Arena. Trent Whitfield added a power play marker and Marek Schwarz made 26 saves for Peoria, which is 7-0-1-1 in its last nine.

Bryan Lundbohm scored a power play goal and Josh Harding had 18 stops before begin pulled for Houston (10-13-0-1), which established a new franchise record with its fifth straight road regulation loss. The Aeros have led for just more than nine minutes in those five games. Houston returns home to face Omaha on Thursday at 7 p.m. Buy tickets, or click here for information on the Happy Hour package, presented by The Maple Leaf Pub.

After the Rivermen killed off an early Houston power play, Linglet got Peoria on the board at 5:13 of the opening period with his 12th goal of the season in his 19th game. He had 14 last season in 38 contests. Glumac, behind the net, slid a pass to Linglet in the left circle, and the winger lifted a high shot from a sharp angle. Harding went down, and the puck went up and over his glove.

Houston allowed the game’s first goal for the seventh time in nine games.

Sejna stretched the Rivermen lead to 2-0 midway through the second, finishing off a nifty-passing 3-on-2 with Linglet and Glumac. Sejna wristed a shot from the left circle under Harding for his fourth goal of the season.

Glumac’s fifth of the season made it 3-0 with 7:16 left in the middle period. Linglet picked off a failed clearing attempt along the left wing boards and hit a cutting Glumac in the high slot, and Glumac ripped a high shot over Harding.

The Aeros got 1:24 of a 5-on-3 late in the second, but Schwarz ranged to his left to gobble up Benoit Pouliot’s one-timer from the low right circle. Seconds later, Schwarz snared a Clayton Stoner blast from the right circle. Schwarz completed a nifty trifecta by holding his ground at the far post on Roman Voloshenko’s stuff attempt.

But Lundbohm scored after the two-man advantage had expired, taking a feed from Peter Ratchuk, skating into the left circle and driving a shot under Schwarz for his second goal of the season with 1:05 left in the second. The tally was Houston’s first in 89:54.

Harding was replaced by Tony Quesada to begin the third period. Peoria hit the post on an early power play, just seconds before Whitfield lifted a rebound over Quesada for his 11th goal of the season – seventh on the power play.

The Aeros were supposed to get nearly four full minutes of a power play after Roman Polak picked up an unsportsmanlike minor with his tripping penalty with Peoria on the power play. But Chris Ovington was whistled for interference less than midway through.

Schwarz was again excellent though with his team shorthanded, getting just a piece of Curtis Murphy’s right point blast with his glove, then covering up a Marco Rosa rebound attempt from close range.

With the teams 4-on-4, Rosa pushed another rebound attempt just wide.

Aeros rookie John Scott and veteran Peoria enforcer Rocky Thomson battled in front of the Aeros’ net midway through the third. Each combatant landed several punches before Thompson landed on top of Scott.

Houston went 1-for-9 on the power play, while Peoria finished 1-for-5. The Aeros are 2-for-38 with the man advantage in their last six road games.

Notes:

Not dressing for the Aeros were Steve Shields, Dieter Kochan, Erik Reitz and Ryan Hamilton.

Harding fell to 8-1-0 in his career against Peoria, counting the regular and post-seasons.

Quesada stopped 15-of-16 shots in relief of Harding.