Ice Dogs Stay Alive in IHL Series

The Long Beach Ice Dogs’ dream season will continue for at least one more game and they can thank John Byce for the extra time.

Byce scored a third-period goal to send the game into overtime and then won it with a goal 11:27 into the extra period to give the Ice Dogs a 2-1 victory over Detroit Friday night at the Long Beach Arena.

With the victory, Long Beach stayed alive in its best-of-7 Turner Cup International Hockey League series. Detroit, which had won the previous two games at Long Beach, leads the series, 3-2.

Before the Ice Dogs’ largest crowd--9,459--this season at the Long Beach Arena, Byce scored the game-winning goal following a turnover created by teammate Jozef Cierny.

Detroit had scored first in 13 of its 14 IHL playoff victories and managed to do it again in Game 5 when winger Stan Drulia assisted on a goal by Steve Walker from in front of the crease for a power-play score with 18.5 seconds remaining in the first period.

Detroit goaltender Rich Parent, who gave up only two goals the last two games, dominated in the second period and for most of the third. His play helped extend Long Beach’s scoreless power-play streak to 26 as Detroit maintainedthe lead.

Long Beach forced the action throughout the third period and finally scored with 8:46 left when Byce got his game-tying goal from outside the right post, with Stephane Morin and Adrian Plavsic assisting. a.

Parent stopped 39 of 41 shots while Long Beach goaltender Tom Draper had 26 saves.

Game 6 will be played Sunday at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich. If necessary, Game 7 will also be played there Tuesday.

“We’ve won there already,” Long Beach Coach John Van Boxmeer said. “We just have to go there and play the same way.”