Grant Hat Trick Leads IceGators to Win over RiverKings
March 9, 2014 - SPHL (SPHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release
Lafayette, La.--The IceGators took out their frustrations from the past two games on the Mississippi RiverKings.
The IceGators unleashed four goals in the second period en route to a 7-3 thrashing of the RiverKings during their home finale. Jeff Grant recorded a hat trick and an assist, while Jeremy Boyer contributed a goal and three assists.
The IceGators now head to North Carolina for a two-game set against the Fayetteville FireAntz. The first game of that series takes place Friday at 7:05 p.m.
"I thought the guys responded well after a couple of tough nights," said IceGators head coach Kevin Kaminski, who was suspended and watched the game from the stands. IceGators general manager Louis Dumont served as interim coach.
"I told them no one would feel sorry for them but themselves and that they had to work through it, and they did.Between being short-staffed, the time change, and an afternoon game, we played well," Kaminski said. "We didn't give up any odd-man rushes, and we capitalized on their opportunities. The guys showed great patience with the puck. Boyer, Grant, and [Josh] Duplantis played very well. Their line was going tonight, and they set the tone."
Boyer's goal opened the scoring at the 3:18 mark of the first period. Mississippi responded when Matt Whitehead scored an unassisted goal thirteen minutes into the game.
The IceGators unloaded in the second period.
Grant and Jordan Braid scored in the first five minutes of the period. The RiverKings briefly recovered, as Todd Hosmer scored a power play goal midway through the frame. However, the IceGators quickly regained their momentum, as Grant and Kirk Byczynski added two more goals to make the score 5-2 going into the second intermission.
Grant and Brett Peppler tacked on two more goals in the third period. Phil Bronner scored for the RiverKings in the waning seconds of the contest.
Kaminski says watching tonight's game from high above the Cajundome gave him a new perspective on what improvements his team needs to make for the final five games of the season.
"There are some things that we have to work on," Kaminski said. "I made some notes from the stands, and we'll have a few practices to go over those things before we go to Fayetteville."
Kaminski also extended his appreciation to the fans for their support during the home season.
"I want to thank the community for its awesome support throughout the year, and I look forward to seeing them in the playoffs."
SPHL Stories from March 9, 2014
- Rivermen Complete Sweep with Convincing Win on Sunday - Peoria Rivermen
- RiverKings Fall in Weekend Finale - Mississippi RiverKings
- Grant Hat Trick Leads IceGators to Win over RiverKings - Louisiana IceGators
- Surge Fall 4-0 against a Streaking Rivermen Squad in Peoria - Mississippi Surge
- Loewen Leads Columbus to Shutout Victory over Bloomington - Columbus Cottonmouths
- Loewen Posts Third Consecutive Shutout in 4-0 Win - Columbus Cottonmouths
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
