IceGators Come Back, Beat Peoria in SO
March 1, 2014 - SPHL (SPHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release
Peoria, Ill. --The Cardiac Crocodilians did it again.
After entering the second intermission with a 5-2 deficit, the Louisiana IceGators scored three goals in the third, including a goal with 15 seconds left in regulation, to force overtime against the Peoria Rivermen. Jeremy Boyer scored the game-winner in the fifth round of a shootout to clinch a 6-5 victory come-from-behind victory.
The IceGators will now return home for their final three homes games of the season. The first game of that set will be played Friday when the IceGators take on the Pensacola IceFlyers at 7:05 p.m.
"Well, it wasn't pretty," said IceGators head coach Kevin Kaminski. "The guys responded well with a great third period. In the second period, our team had 18 guys on their own separate pages, and they got outworked because of it.
"I told them [during the intermission] we could play like men or keep playing like individuals. I told them we don't need to get the goals all at once. We just need to win every five minutes. They came out after the break and really executed the systems better. The guys showed their true colors and character tonight."
The first period was a see-saw battle between the two teams.
The Rivermen drew first blood when Dean Yakura scored at the 7:01 mark of the frame. The IceGators tied the game on a Jeff Grant goal at the 8:42 mark. Matt Viola regained the lead for Peoria with a goal of his own ten seconds later.
The Rivermen dominated the second period.
Peoria's Locke Jillison and Louisiana's Aaron McGill traded goals early in the frame. Peoria tacked on two more goals later in the frame--a power play score from Yakura and last-minute score from Viola--put Peoria ahead by three going into the third period.
The IceGators clawed their way back in the third period.
Ron Cramer scored twice in the first 14 minutes of the period to pull Louisiana within a goal of the tie. Shawn McNeil had an opportunity to tie the game on a penalty shot with 32 seconds left in the game, but he missed. Adam Stuart became the hero of the night when he tied the game in the waning moments of regulation.
Chris Wilson and Boyer scored in the shootout for the IceGators. Garrett Versmeesch scored Peoria's only goal in the shootout.
Kaminski gives some credit for the comeback to goalie Kiefer Smiley.
"[Smiley] made a key breakaway save in the third to give us more momentum," Kaminski said.
That momentum, he says, will hopefully continue into next weekend.
"This sets us up for a big weekend at home," Kaminski said. "It's time for us to roll. Roll, Gators, roll."
SPHL Stories from March 1, 2014
- Hince, Knoxville blank Bloomington, 5-0 - SPHL
- Loewen Leads Columbus to Shutout Victory Over - Columbus Cottonmouths
- Huntsville squeaks by Fayetteville, 5-3 - SPHL
- IceGators Come Back, Beat Peoria in SO - Louisiana IceGators
- Ice Bears Capture 9 of 10 Points for the Week - Knoxville Ice Bears
- Columbus' Special Teams Stops RiverKings - Mississippi RiverKings
- Ice Bears Break Away Late to Defeat Thunder - Bloomington Thunder
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