BY DAVE HELLER
Enquirer contributor
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Detroit Vipers beat the Cincinnati Cyclones Cyclones 3-1 on Saturday night to tie their best-of-seven IHL quarterfinal series 1-1.
Wayne Presley gave Detroit a 2-1 lead in the second period when he finished a give-and-go with Patrice Tardif.
Peter Ciavaglia clinched the game with an empty-net goal. He intercepted a Todd Simon pass just as goalie Parris Duffus was leaving the ice for an extra attacker. Ciavaglia rushed from the Cyclones end and beat Duffus to the net.
The series resumes Tuesday at the Crown.
"That game was for grabs, and we deserved the game because we worked harder than them. They just had some lucky bounces," left wing Gilbert Dionne said. "We're pretty happy going home with a 1-1 series."
The Cyclones were trying to win five straight playoff games for the first time in franchise history.
Because Game One went three overtimes and didn't end until 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning, both teams used their backup goalies. Detroit put in Rich Parent; Cincinnati had Duffus.
Parent, who took over for an injured Jeff Reese last year in the playoffs and helped Detroit to a Turner Cup championship, made 15 saves in the second period, including a huge one on Gilbert Dionne when he reached out with his stick to bat away a shot. He finished with 30 saves.
Duffus, playing for the first time since April 8, was 0-3 in the playoffs last season for Las Vegas. He had 25 saves.
"Parent made several huge saves, so did Duffer, but we had two on the goal line that you couldn't believe didn't go in," Cyclones coach Ron Smith said. "If one of those goes in, we're still playing."
The save of the game came from defenseman John Gruden. With 6:29 to play in the game, Paul Broten's shot trickled through the pads of Parent but Gruden managed to slap the puck away as it floated on the goal line.
Both teams scored power-play goals in the second period.
The Cyclones scored first as Todd Hawkins pushed the puck through the crease where it banked off the left skate of Steve Roberts and into the net.
Roberts, who spent the majority of the season playing for Dayton, was playing because of an injury to Doug Macdonald. This game marked his first time in a Cincinnati uniform since Jan. 3.
For Roberts, who had three goals and three assists in 15 games with Cincinnati this season, it was his first Cyclones goal since Dec. 29.
The Cyclones played without Macdonald and David Williams, both of whom were injured Friday night. Macdonald sprained his left knee and will have an MRI today. Williams has a bruised sternum.
Game 1: Cyclones 3, Detroit 2 (3 OT)
Cincinnati 0 1 0 -- 1
Detroit 0 2 1 -- 3
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: None. Penalties: Dandenault, Cin (roughing),
2:39; Aldridge, Det (Ob holding the stick), 3:47; Boyle, Cin (Obstr
hooking), 3:51; Dionne, Cin (roughing), 6:21; Crowe, Det (roughing), 8:36;
Aldridge, Det (holding), 9:58; Herbers, Det (cross checking), 13:15;
Labelle, Cin (roughing), 16:09; Norton, Det (misconduct), 16:09; Cloutier,
Det (slashing), 19:50.
SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Cincinnati, Roberts 1 (power play) (Morrow,
Hawkins), 1:59. 2, Detroit, Banks 2 (power play) (Shaw, Joyce), 4:55. 3,
Detroit, Presley 2 (Tardif, Aldridge), 9:15. Penalties: Herbers, Det
(cross checking), 1:30; Hawkins, Cin (elbowing), 3:27; Henderson, Cin
(Obstr hooking), 7:02; Presley, Det (goalie interference), 11:15; Norton,
Det (holding), 15:08.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 4, Detroit, Ciavaglia 2 (unassisted), 19:13.
Penalties: Mullin, Cin (tripping), 2:34; Presley, Det (roughing), 2:34;
Norton, Det (slashing), 5:32; Duffus, Cin (roughing), 17:14; Presley, Det
(goalie interference), 17:14.
Shots: Cincinnati, 5-16-10-31; Detroit, 10-12-6-28. Power play opportunities: Cincinnati 1-9, Detroit 1-6. Goalies: Cincinnati, Duffus (0-1), Detroit, Parent (1-0). Attendance: 6,366.
