PEORIA — Jordan Ernst had an historic game Saturday for the Peoria Rivermen, single-handedly outscoring the entire Evansville team and moving him closer to a tongue-in-cheek deal with his coach that could change his identity.
The veteran Rivermen winger and sometimes-defenseman scored five goals in an 8-4 road win that kept Peoria as the only pro team in North America still unbeaten in regulation on the road Saturday at Evansville.
Ernst became the fifth player in the 43-year history of the Rivermen franchise to produce a five-goal game, the most ever scored in a single contest in Peoria’s reign through the IHL, ECHL, AHL and now SPHL and the first player to do it in 26 years.
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His five goals also tied the SPHL’s all-time single-game record.
“I don’t even have words for it,” Ernst said. “I can’t do something like that without the guys I have around me, I’m so fortunate to have great players with me. It was one of those games where everything went in for me. I think the first goal was the best, it was from outside and went into a really small space up top.
“When you get rolling like that you are aware of it, but you also have to stay composed, play good defense and keep doing the things the team needs to win.”
Ernst scored five goals on seven shots against goaltender Cole Ceci. The two-time Rivermen championship winger scored four goals in a span of 21:17 and got all five in the net in less than 40 minutes amid a run when Peoria notched six unanswered goals.
“It’s historic, and we needed it,” said Rivermen coach Jean-Guy Trudel, after Ernst helped erase a 3-0 deficit. “Something about playing at Evansville, it just seems hard for us to get a good start there. But Jordan was talking on the bench, telling guys to get going and then he just took the game over and did it himself.”
SPHL box score:Rivermen 8, Evansville 4
And with that, Ernst put himself in historic company, joining an elite list of Rivermen players who scored five goals in a game:
“In the big moments, the Big Dog eats,” Trudel said, referring to Ernst by his nickname. “Jordan shows up at the biggest times, and it was fun to be part of this with him.”
Jordan Ernst has scored 96 goals in 211 regular-season games in the SPHL, and 14 more in 26 playoff games. He’s reached 20-goal seasons three times, and now leads the SPHL in goals with 21 after 25 games.
But the 27-year-old, seventh-year pro has never reached 30 goals in a single season.
“Back at the start of the season, we were talking and I reminded Ernst that we’d lost (retiring captain) Alec Hagaman, and I told him we’d need him to score 30,” Trudel said, laughing. “Ernie said, ‘I’ll make you a deal, if I score 30 goals this season, you have to call me Daddy for the rest of my life.’
“I thought about it and said, ‘Deal.’ Well, Daddy is getting close.”
Lost in the shadows of Ernst’s historic game was a hat trick for Rivermen center Carson Baptiste in just his third game with the team. The FPHL call-up has five points in three games. … Rivermen captain Alec Baer notched five assists in the 8-4 win at Evansville. … The Rivermen were awarded 10 power plays and cashed in on four of them, three of which were scored by Ernst. … Ernst scored five goals, but the game-winner was put in by Baptiste. … The Rivermen are 10-0-3 on the road, and will have their unbeaten in regulation streak tested with a two-game series at Huntsville that starts Friday in a matchup of the league’s top two teams. … Baer now leads the league scoring race with 40 points in 26 games. Ernst is fourth with 31 points in 25 games, and defenseman Zach Wilkie is fifth with 30 points in 26 games. … Rivermen goaltender Colby Muise is ranked No. 1 in the SPHL and is 16-2-1 with five shutouts, a 1.75 goals-against and .930 saves rate. His wins, shutouts and goals-against are league-bests. … Veteran left wing Carlos Fornaris leads the SPHL with a +21 rating.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.

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