How the Peoria Rivermen won an epic game to get to the SPHL Finals

PEORIA — The Peoria Rivermen have been there, done that, when it comes to the SPHL Finals, but they didn't let that experience or the Knoxville Ice Bears keep them from doing it again Sunday. The Rivermen rode out a scoreless game, collected a game-winning goal from a rookie and magnificent goaltending from a veteran to beat Knoxville, 1-0, before 2,443 at Carver Arena in a winner-take-all Game 5 of the SPHL semifinals. Peoria moves on to the SPHL President's Cup Finals against defending champion Evansville in a best-of-5 series that starts Thursday at Carver Arena.

"We came back for this," Rivermen captain Alec Baer said. "Every year, it's championship or bust for us, that's how we approach it. It's why every one of us is here.

" Game 5 Sunday was 60 minutes of playing without any margin for error, and the No. 1 seeded Rivermen suffocated Knoxville with their league-record defense behind goaltender Nick Latinovich's third shutout in six postseason games. He saved the game from going to overtime when, with 64 seconds left and Knoxville goaltender Stephen Mundinger out for an extra attacker, he made a highlight worthy save to rob Jason Brancheau from above the crease.

"The puck came bouncing out to him and I slid over as fast as I could and just stuck my left leg out," Latinovich said. "It went right into my pad. A 0-0 game, then a 1-0 game, I was just telling myself to take it five minutes at a time, break it up into little 5-minute games.