IceBears Cling to 3-2 Win over IceGators
April 8, 2015 - SPHL (SPHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release
LAFAYETTE, La.--If Hollywood ever decided to remake the movie "Groundhog Day," the Louisiana IceGators and the Knoxville IceBears could star in it.
In a repeat of the regular season finale, tonight's game went down to the wire. Also in a repeat of the regular season finale, the Knoxville IceBears barely held on to a 3-2 win to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three SPHL semifinal series. Eric Satim scored the eventual game-winner with 5:32 left in regulation.
The IceGators and the IceBears now head to Knoxville for the second game of the series. That contest is set for Friday at 7:35 p.m. EDT.
"I thought we played very well for 20 minutes," said IceGators head coach Drew Omicioli. "Our comfort level was too high in the second and third periods, and we didn't match intensity we had in the first. In a playoff game, you can't take five minutes off, never mind 40."
Eric Power put Knoxville on the board with a power play goal with 10:36 left in the second period when he tipped in a Francis Drolet shot from the right circle. Satim also assisted on the play.
The IceGators tied the game 55 seconds later when Ben Rubin tipped in a Bret Peppler shot from in front of the net. Adam Stuart picked up an assist on the play.
Knoxville jumped out to a 3-1 lead late in the game thanks in part to mistakes made by the IceGators defense. Berkeley Scott put the IceBears ahead when a goalie Scott Diebold misjudged a weak shot from an odd right-side angle with 11:07 left in regulation. Satim's goal came from left side during a 2-on-1 opportunity after he took a feed from Robbie Donohoe.
The IceGators attempted to jump back into the game when Bret Peppler deflected a Kirk Byczynski shot past Knoxville goaltender Bryan Hence with 4:28 left in regulation. Louisiana had a number of scoring opportunities in the waning seconds of the game, but they could not capitalize.
"We're going to play the guys that give us the best opportunity to win," Omicioli said. "The rest of this series is do or die for us. Any type of doubts we have of any player not being 100-percent ready to play will be taken care of right away. We have to play 60 minutes Friday, and do it again on Saturday. I feel we can go up there and take both games and move on to the finals."
SPHL Stories from April 8, 2015
- IceBears Cling to 3-2 Win over IceGators - Louisiana IceGators
- Peoria's Jean-Guy Trudel Named Easton Coach of the Year - SPHL
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