'It was awesome': Center reflects on his hockey journey amid induction into Rivermen HOF

PEORIA — Ron Hoover had a lot of great memories playing for the Peoria Rivermen in the original International Hockey League. He added another one on Saturday as the retired center was inducted into the Rivermen Hall of Fame. Hoover was the guest of honor at the Rivermen SPHL regular-season finale, a 2-1 overtime loss to Roanoke before 4,733 at Carver Arena.

Roanoke won the game with 15 seconds left in sudden-death when it opted to pull its goaltender for an extra attacker and got a four-on-three winner from Gustav Muller. The game meant nothing to the Rivermen, who were long ago locked into the No. 1 seed for the upcoming SPHL playoffs.

It was a huge game for Roanoke, though, which moved up a slot to the No. 3 seed with its gambit. Hoover, meanwhile, took his place in the 44-year Peoria franchise's Hall of Fame.

"It was awesome," Hoover, 59, said after the on-ice induction ceremony. "To be here, and on that ice again … to remember all the great players I was fortunate to play with here, just such a true honor. I was standing there thinking how much I missed those great times.