For immediate release
For more information, contact: Joel Silverberg, Director of Broadcasting (865) 525-7825, joel@knoxvilleicebears.com.
Jimmy Soper and Dawson McKinney each had two goals and two assists, Stephen Mundinger made 38 saves and the Knoxville Ice Bears advanced to the President’s Cup semifinals with a 6-2 win in a winner-take-all game three over the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs at the Berglund Center Saturday night.
It’s the first time since 2012 Knoxville has overcome a 1-0 series deficit. Knoxville dropped game one at home on Wednesday before shutting out the Rail Yard Dawgs Friday night on the road. Roanoke entered the playoffs with the best home record in the SPHL this season at 21-4-3.
Mundinger appeared to miss the memo.
Knoxville’s 6-foot-8 net minder frustrated Roanoke’s offense all night. Fighting shots off with his blocker, snagging scoring chances with the glove, kicking away redirected pucks and using his positioning to force second chances wide. He faced 40 shots or more in each game of the series and made 119 saves over the course of three games.
Tyler Williams scored for Knoxville when he put back a rebound on the power play at 2:23 of the first. Jason Brancheau sent the puck to McKinney in the right circle Austyn Roudebush stopped McKinney’s shot, but the rebound came out in front and Williams put it on net with a backhand.
Roanoke tied the game with a power play goal of its own when Carson Gallagher poked in a rebound past Stephen Mundinger at 14:06.
The Ice Bears retook the lead at 9:45 of the second period with McKinney’s first goal of the playoffs. Kodi Schwarz fed the puck up to Soper in the zone. Soper and McKinney exchanged the puck and Soper carried through the right circle before dropping it back to McKinney. McKinney’s one-timer beat Roudebush’s glove side up high and found the back of the net.
Soper scored 38 seconds later to give Knoxville a two-goal advantage. Carson Vance held in a clearing attempt at the left point and slid the puck across to Brendan Dowler. Dowler sent the puck towards the crease where Soper redirected it between his legs and through Roudebush’s pads to make it 3-1 at the second intermission.
Knoxville took a 4-1 lead with Derek Osik’s shorthanded goal at 13:41 of the third. Jimmy Soper sent the puck out of the zone on the penalty kill and Osik outraced Stephen Alvo to the puck before sweeping across the crease and splitting Roudebush’s pads.
McKinney made it 5-1 two minutes later when Osik fed him a pass on the rush to the left hash. McKinney’s shot bounced off Roudebush and Tommy Munichiello inadvertently tapped it into his own net.
Munichiello scored with an extra attacker to make it 5-2 with 3:28 remaining.
Jimmy Soper scored his second of the night with an empty net goal with 50 seconds left. McKinney fed Soper the puck in the Knoxville zone and Soper flipped it down the ice into the net. Roudebush finished with 16 saves for Roanoke.
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.
-xxx-