Only 938 Watch as Ice Dogs Win Wild Shootout

Victor Gordiouk’s sudden-death shootout goal gave the Ice Dogs a 6-5 victory over the Peoria Rivermen Wednesday night, in front of a season-low 938 at the Sports Arena.

Maybe it was the weather, or waning interest in a minor league hockey team that is moving to Long Beach next season and was playing only its second home game in January that kept people away. But the few who were around saw an exciting game in which the Ice Dogs blew a 4-0 lead, only to come back to tie the score with 1:32 left in the game.

Neither team scored in overtime, so that forced a sudden-death shootout in which Gordiouk scored on the Ice Dogs’ second opportunity.

Jozef Cierny scored twice, and Greg Smyth and Tracy Egeland each added one to give the Ice Dogs a 4-0 lead midway through the second period. Peoria got five consecutive goals to lead in the third.

Then John Byce’s goal set up the overtime and shootout. The Ice Dogs (24-18-6) are third in the IHL’s Southwest.