Garrett Vermeersch scored the go-ahead goal in the first period, and the Peoria Rivermen held off the challenges of the Bloomington Thunder in a tough 2-0 win.

Kyle Rank spearheaded the defensive effort for the Rivermen, as he did not allow a puck past him and made 35 saves for the shutout. Rank managed to improve on his goals against average, which stood at 2.19 prior to the game.

Peoria's penalty kill excelled, as the Rivermen gave up zero goals despite allowing seven power plays.

Peoria stifled Bloomington's power play, and did not give up a single goal while down a man. By firing 33 shots on goal, the Rivermen exceeded the 22.5 shots they average per game this year.

Justin Gvora also scored for Peoria. In addition, Peoria received assists from Taylor Larsen, Jeremiah Ketts, and Charlie Carkin, who each chipped in one.

The Thunder were held below their usual level of production. Bloomington averages 2.6 goals per game. The Thunder's offense rang up 35 shots on Peoria's net.

Bloomington was led by Ron Cramer, who took seven shots.

The Rivermen incurred 14 minutes in penalty time with seven minors. BJ OBrien recorded 31 saves for the Thunder. Bloomington incurred 12 minutes in penalty time with six minors.