Gulls’ Losing Streak Ends as Peoria Falls : Hockey: Kvartalnov gets two goals and an assist in 4-3 defeat of Rivermen.

As it turned out, both the game and the Gulls’ road trip were slow to start.

The Gulls, playing their fourth of six consecutive away games, defeated the Peoria Rivermen, 4-3, Saturday on the strength of two goals and an assist by Soviet left wing Dmitri Kvartalnov. The victory, in front of 5,483 at the Peoria Civic Center, snapped a four-game losing streak.

Faceoff was delayed a half hour while Civic Center workmen retooled the arena from basketball to hockey. An NBA exhibition game Saturday afternoon between the Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers also started late--because the Clippers got lost going from Chicago to Peoria.

Kvartalnov’s goals, each assisted by Sergei Starikov and Len Hachborn, gave him four in two nights. His second Saturday came at 14:25 of the third period and snapped a 2-2 tie. It was followed over a minute later by Keith Gretzky’s second goal in as many nights.

Little that happened early in the game foreshadowed the Gulls’ success.

Gretzky missed a breakaway opportunity off the opening faceoff, and the Rivermen, the defending International Hockey League champions, sent the puck to Dave Mackey, whose breakaway gave Peoria a 1-0 lead.

“That was the best thing that could happen to us,” Gulls Coach Don Waddell said. “After (the Rivermen) got that quick goal, they thought it was going to be an easy night.”

It looked that way 20 minutes later, when Mackey’s goal 48 seconds into the second period gave the Rivermen a 2-0 lead.

The Gulls, who were 3-42 when trailing after two periods last season, answered with Kvartalnov’s first score. Hachborn’s assist kept alive a streak; he has scored in every game this season.

Gulls center Jason LaFreniere scored his first goal of the season, with Kvartalnov and Alan Hepple assisting, to tie the score early in the third period. That set the stage for Kvartalnov’s go-ahead goal.

“Obviously, coming into Peoria with them undefeated, this is a big emotional win,” Waddell said. “It just goes to show us that we can play with anybody.”

Rick Knickle, who stopped 31 shots, improved his record to 2-1 for the Gulls, who were outshot, 34-21.