In a game where neither team could get a cushion, the Bloomington Thunder escaped with a 4-2 victory over the Peoria Rivermen.

Bloomington gained the winning advantage on a goal by Travis Granbois 1:01 into the third period and hung on until final buzzer.

The Thunder were led by Granbois, who finished with one goal and one assist.

Bloomington relied on a core group of players for most of its offense, as Granbois, Dennis Sicard and Tyler Noseworthy took 13 of the team's 22 shots. The defense for the Thunder played an important role offensively, racking up nine shots on goal. Bloomington could not stay out of the penalty box, as the team accrued 38 minutes in penalties during the game.

Others who scored for Bloomington included Eddie Olyzck and Ron Cramer, who scored one goal each. In addition, Bloomington received assists from Paul DAgostino, who had one and Jay Pietrasiak, who had two.

Team could not crack the Thunder's penalty kill and was held to two power play goals while having nine opportunities to play with the man advantage. Peoria put 32 shots on net during the contest, more than the 22.5 it averages per game.

The Rivermen were helped by Matt Viola, who grabbed one goal. Viola scored on the power play 13:29 into the second period to make the score 2-1 Peoria. Peoria had taken the advantage when Bloomington's Kyle Watson got sent off for roughing. Taylor Larsen picked up the assist. Peoria also got points from Larsen, who also tallied one goal and one assist to lead the team in points. More assists for Peoria came via Charlie Carkin and Tyler Amburgey, who each chipped in one.

Breton Lindoff rejected 30 shots on goal for the Thunder. Bloomington registered zero goals on one power play opportunities. The Thunder ran into serious disciplinary problems during the contest, and Cramer was ejected from the game. Kyle Rank recorded 18 saves for the Rivermen. Peoria incurred four minutes in penalty time with two minors.