Peoria overpower Snakes 7-1 in penalty-filled game

Notched by a three-goal first period, the Peoria Rivermen defeated the Columbus Cottonmouths for the second straight game winning Saturday night 7-1.

Much like the night before, Peoria swarmed the front of the net taking advantage of their odd man rush opportunities scoring Saturday's opening three goals in the first period including unassisted goals by both Matt Summers and Chris Wilson.

In a bit of scoring drought, it took a little over three minutes before the Snakes recorded their first official shot on goal. Down 3-0, Craig Simchuk logged the Cottonmouths lone goal of the night. Combined over their last five games, Columbus has been held to just six goals.

Early in the second, Peoria extended their lead to 4-1 on a back-handed goal by Connor Toomey, his second goal in as many nights.

After a 15-minute break in action due to an injury timeout, starting Peoria net minder Kyle Rank was taken off the ice on a stretcher after taking a punch to the head from Cottonmouths forward Craig Simchuk. Simchuk was immediately ejected from the contest for an attempt to injure.

Following the injury timeout, emotions over flowed with Columbus and Peoria embarking on a second period and third period that included six different fights along with 31 total penalties issued. In the second, both Cottonmouths coach Jerome Bechard and Captain Kyle Johnson were ejected from the contest.

Inserted for the injured Rank, back-up Francois Brassard blocked all 14 shots he faced.

In the third, Peoria tacked on three additional goals with Garrett Vermeersch, Mark Corbett, and Steve Morra all coming via the power play.

In net for her fourth straight start, Columbus goaltender Shannon Szabados acquitted 44 saves on 51 shots dropping her overall record to 2-5-3 this season.

Overall, the two clubs combined for 138 penalty minutes on 32 infractions going just 3 for 15 on power play opportunities.

Coming into the night averaging a league-high 33 shots on goal per game, Columbus managed to record just 25 shots on net while Peoria out shooting them by 26.

Columbus is now 1-7-3 against SPHL opponents not named Macon and Knoxville.

With their next two games coming on the road, the Cottonmouths return home on Sunday Dec. 27 at 4 p.m. to host the Pensacola Ice Flyers.

Saturday at Columbus Civic CenterPeoria 3 1 3--7

Columbus 1 0 0--1

First period--1, Peoria, Summers (unassisted) 3:54; 2, Peoria, Wilson (unassisted) 6:16; 3, Peoria, Slowikowski (Morra) 14:38; 4, Columbus, Simchuk (Lockeridge) 15:39: Penalties--Bathgate, Columbus (Hooking) 11:37.

Second period--5, Peoria, Toomey (Summers, Morra) 2:04; Penalties--Simchuk, Columbus (Attempt to Injure) (Match) 2:21; Simchuk, Columbus (Match Penalty-Major) 2:21; Johnson, Columbus (Fighting-Game Misconduct) 2:31; Freeman, Columbus (Fighting-Major) 2:31; Freeman, Columbus (Continuing Altercation-Misconduct) 2:31; Hagaman, Peoria (Fighting-Major) 2:31; Hagaman, Peoria (Continuing Altercation-Misconduct) 2:31; Wintoneak, Peoria (Cross Checking) 2:31; Wintoneak, Peoria (Roughing) 2:31; Hafner, Columbus (Roughing) 2:31; Shapiro, Columbus (Tripping) 2:31; Lockeridge, Columbus (Too Many Men-Bench Minor) 9:53; Graves, Columbus (Slashing-Major) 17:25; Bechard, Columbus (Disputing the Call-Bench Minor) 17:25; Bechard, Columbus (Leaving Penalty Bench-Game Misconduct) 17:25; Morra, Peoria (High Sticking) 17:33.

Third period--6, Peoria, Vermeersch-PP (Greenside, Wintoneak) 6:59; 7, Peoria, Corbett-PP (Stuart); 8, Peoria, Morra-PP (Summers, Toomey); Penalties--Toomey, Peoria (Hooking) 2:51; Freeman, Columbus (High Sticking) 5:55; Hagaman, Peoria (Roughing) 10:22; McCadden, Columbus (Roughing) 10:22; Belisle, Columbus (Roughing) 10:22; Belisle, Columbus (Roughing) 15:49; Belisle, Columbus (Continuing Altercation-Misconduct) 15:49; Wilson, Peoria (Roughing) 15:49; Wilson, Peoria (Continuing Altercation-Misconduct) 15:51; Hagaman, Peoria (Fighting-Major) 15:51; Jackson, Columbus (Fighting-Major) 15:51; Jackson, Columbus (Slashing) 15:51; Whitell, Columbus (Elbowing) 17:30.

Shots on goal: Peoria 16-24-11; Columbus 11-4-10

Power plays: Peoria 3 of 14; Columbus 0 of 1

Goaltenders: Peoria, Rank (win) 22:21 10 0 0; Peoria, Bassard 37:39 0 4 10; Columbus, Szababdos (loss) 60:00 13 23 8

Referee: Fernandez, Nagy. Linesman: Archambeault, Winkler

Time: 2:41

This story was originally published December 19, 2015 at 10:46 PM with the headline "Peoria overpower Snakes 7-1 in penalty-filled game ."