Admirals Get Dumped by Rivermen 4-2

PEORIA -- Three power play goals led the Peoria Rivermen over the Milwaukee Admirals Sunday at Carver Arena in Peoria 4-2.

The Admirals dropped to third place in the Midwest Division with the loss. The team has lost four of its last five games.

Peoria scored a power play goal at 4:55 of the first period when Admirals starting goalie Atte Engren couldn’t grasp the puck in the crease. Rivermen forward Brett Sterling was able to jam it away from the netminder to T.J. Hensick who buried his 12th goal of the season.

Milwaukee tied the game with a power play goal of its own at 7:48. Michael Latta passed the puck from the left corner, looking for Zack Stortini in the slot. Stortini was tied up so the puck came to Juuso Puustinen at the right faceoff dot. His quick shot went through the pads of Rivermen goalie Jake Allen for Puustinen’s 12th goal of the season. Latta and Blake Geoffrion recorded the assists.

Peoria took the lead at 16:18 with a 5-on-3 power play goal. After Danny Syvret’s shot from the point went over the net, Hensick passed the puck from the left circle to the right for a one-timer from Derek Nesbitt.

The Rivermen scored another goal with 48 seconds left in the first period when Syvret floated a shot from the right point that was deflected by Sterling into the net for a 3-1 Peoria edge. The goal was Sterling’s 15th of the season.

Jeremy Smith replaced Engren in Milwaukee’s net after the first period. Engren stopped seven of ten Peoria shots.

The Admirals made it 3-2 with 2:30 to play in the third period. Taylor Beck stole the puck at neutral and carried on the right wing. His shot was stopped by Allen, but Chris Mueller crashed the net and knocked the puck across the goal line for his 15th goal of the season.

Peoria’s Anthony Nigro scored an empty net power play goal with 41 seconds left in the game to ice the win.

Milwaukee will visit Chicago to resume the Amtrak Rivalry against the Wolves Friday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 pm. Milwaukee’s next home game is Saturday, Jan. 14.