Knoxville Ice Bears

Pelkey scores clutch goals

date: 04/05/2010

Fayetteville, NC - Less than 18 hours after the thrilling double OT winner on home ice, the Ice Bears and FireAntz were back at it again. The seven hour drive to Fayetteville gave the defending champions time to think about what they need to extend their season.

The FireAntz were without starting goalie Guy St. Vincent due to an altercation following Saturday's game whereby he was suspended indefinitely by the SPHL. Call upon Bryan Bridges, who last saw action in the infamous brawl just eight days ago.

Fayetteville came out flying in the first period, peppering the Ice Bears with three goals in the middle of the period. All three were scored in less than three minutes apart to put the defending champs back on their heels. After the third goal was scored by 2010 SPHL MVP Rob Sich, he passed along a few words to the Ice Bears players on the bench as he skated by. Something must have lit a fire under the team because that was the last goal scored by Fayetteville this season.

Knoxville proceeded to apply pressure to the flamboyant home team with an onslaught of firepower where 21 shots reached the goal and two finding the back of the net courtesy of Tim Vitek. Tim saw his first playoff action of the season due to a debatable suspension of two games handed down by the SPHL.

In the third period the Ice Bears offered no relief to their opponents. Down by one until 13:40 of the final stanza - the Ice Bears broke through with their first power play goal of the series. To this point, Knoxville had gone 0-21 with the man advantage. BJ Pelkey knotted the game at three to force overtime.

Overtime really showed the reason the defending champions showed no quit. Knoxville managed 10 shots before Fayetteville tested Andrew Gallant, where he turned away all four shot attempts. On the Ice Bears 11th shot of the extra period, clutch performer Pelkey sealed the game at 8:40 of overtime to set up a rematch with border rival Huntsville.

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