Ice Dog Coach Blasts Team After 6-3 Loss

Keith Osborne’s two goals and assist led the Peoria Rivermen to a 6-3 victory over the Ice Dogs in front of an announced 2,437 at the Sports Arena on Sunday.

The victory pulls the Rivermen within one point of the Ice Dogs for the sixth playoff spot in the International Hockey League’s Western Conference. The Ice Dogs (29-27-11) remain in fourth place in the Southwest division. Peoria (32-33-4) is third in the Midwest.

Not surprisingly, Ice Dog Coach John Van Boxmeer was hoarse and disgusted after the game.

“I thought we stunk. We were playing a team in our building and they wanted it more than we did. When it wasn’t easy, nobody stepped up and got in anybody’s face. We got outworked, outmucked and outplayed,” Van Boxmeer said.

Ice Dog goalie Kay Whitmore, who was 3-0-2 in his last five starts with an 1.20 goals-against average and a 96.8 save percentage, was victimized for five goals in the first two periods. It was the fifth time in Whitmore’s 18 games with the Ice Dogs that he has given up five goals. Dave Littman replaced him after the second period.

John Byce scored twice for the Ice Dogs, in the first and the third periods.