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.
"At the end of the day, we've all played hockey our whole lives and we've all been in games like this. Our guys blocked shots, lifted sticks, made big plays and we got it done."
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Kullan Daikawa joined the Peoria Rivermen with one game left in the regular-season, a recommendation of former Rivermen captain Alec Hagaman.
"I talked to Alec about him, watched film on him for about a month," Rivermen head coach Jean-Guy Trudel said. "I saw a young guy who liked physical play, had speed, and created opportunities. I felt like we could do something with him."
Two hours before his pro debut on the final day of the regular-season, Daikawa sat in Trudel's office, studying a dry erase board as the coach drew up a crash course in Peoria's system play.
And he teamed with veteran center JM Piotrowski and agitator winger-center Matt Wiesner on a line that has been a spark for Peoria throughout the playoffs.
Trudel put them together when the team needed a lift, and they have not disappointed, with Piotrowski notching four goals in the Knoxville series and Daikawa piling up a league-best seven assists.
With the game in a scoreless deadlock and 2:10 left in the second period, Daikawa came through with his first pro goal – which proved to be a game-winner in a playoff elimination game.
He walked up to the left faceoff circle dot and buried a shot through traffic as Piotrowski screened on the doorstep.
Piotrowski's size and presence caused Mundinger to shift toward the near post in an attempt to see around him.
It opened space on the far side of the net and Daikawa's shot zipped across the goalmouth and inside the right post.
"He's such a big goaltender, and I was trying to find an open spot," Daikawa said. "I took the shot, and I heard the pipe ring. I thought it ricocheted out, I thought, 'Oh no.' Then I looked up and saw it was in there and everyone was celebrating.
"I chose Peoria (after finishing his college career at Wisconsin-Stout) because I'd heard so much about (Trudel) and about this team, and I wanted to be part of it. Today, I just wanted to enjoy the moment."