For immediate release
For more information, contact: Joel Silverberg, Director of Broadcasting (865) 525-7825, joel@knoxvilleicebears.com.
Stephen Mundinger made 39 saves for his third shutout of the season, Anthony Cinato and Dawson McKinney scored in the third period and the Knoxville Ice Bears defeated the Evansville Thunderbolts 2-0 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum Friday night.
Both teams generated scoring chances in the first period, but the goaltenders kept the scoresheet blank through 20 minutes. Mundinger corralled Myles Abbate’s shot from the left circle and stopped him on a breakaway late in the period. Cole Ceci shrugged off a slap shot from Carson Vance and blocked Derek Osik’s net-front chance.
The goalies reigned supreme through the second period as well. Mundinger fought off a redirect from Logan vande Meerakker and kicked away a loose puck in a net mouth scramble. Ceci denied point-blank chances from Cinato and Mitch Atkins while Cam Tobey and Derek Osik each hit the post.
Cinato scored at 1:41 of the third period when he buried a rebound out in front of the crease. Noah Finstrom shot the puck from the left circle and Cinato found the loose puck off the pad save by Ceci to convert for his third goal of the season.
Evansville appeared to tie the game with 3:15 remaining when Isaac Chapman scored off a loose puck by the crease, but the goal was waived off immediately due to Chapman receiving the puck from a hand pass.
McKinney carried the puck up the right wing and tried to feed it across the slot, but his pass deflected off an Evansville stick past Ceci and into the net for McKinney’s 18th goal of the season with 2:20 remaining. Ceci finished with 44 saves.
Mundinger shut down Evansville in the third period, stopping 21 shots over the final 20 minutes alone. He stopped Jordan Simoneau at the front of the crease and again with the puck loose in the blue ice. He kicked away vande Meerakker’s shorthanded breakaway chance with a minute and a half to play and the Thunderbolts never threatened again.
Knoxville will host Macon on Saturday night. The Thunderbolts will return to Indiana to play Huntsville Sunday afternoon.
ABOUT The Knoxville Ice Bears: The Knoxville Ice Bears organization began in 2002 and was an inaugural charter member of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) in 2004. As four-time SPHL Champions and five-time regular season champions, the Ice Bears are an experienced and established organization, offering the city and its visitors a balanced product of highlight-reel hockey, unique and exciting intermission activity and endless fan interaction, presenting the most affordable, family-friendly way to enjoy sports and entertainment. Season, Partial Season and Flex Tickets are now on sale. For more information, visit www.knoxvilleicebears.com or call (865) 525-7825.
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