“We talked beforehand that this game mattered to us, to our organization, to our fans, and most importantly, to Kyle Terrian,” coach Brian Gratz said. “It was a great way to end it.”
Chris Lipsett netted a hat trick, while Brandon Naurato had two goals and an assist. Captain Greg Labenski, Lipsett and Naurato all scored within a span of two minutes, 59 seconds.
“This was big,” Labenski said. “It was a good feeling with all those fans.”
Lipsett opened the scoring early when he sent a shot in from the left circle that bounced off a Quad City skater and behind Adam Russo. Naurato made it 2-0 at 8:04 of the second and minutes later, Lipsett added another on a Dayton power play.
Goaltender Derek MacIntyre was sharp for the third straight outing, making 31 saves.
The Terrians will receive a $5,000 donation from the Gems in addition to a portion of proceeds from both a silent auction and a post-game Gems jersey auction. Kyle, who is battling a rare cancer, was in attendance briefly with his family and received a huge ovation.
“Hopefully, that made him smile,” said Gems president Joe Greene, who expressed appreciation to his staff for their hard work and the “diehards” that turned out. “There’s more to life than hockey. Tonight was not just a game.”
“It’s one of those stories that touched you,” added Labenski.”
• The Gems (32-29-5) became the first hockey team in Dayton to finish above .500 since the 2006-07 Bombers. They will open the CHL playoffs at Colorado or Rapid City.
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