For immediate release
For more information, contact: Joel Silverberg, Director of Broadcasting (865) 525-7825, joel@knoxvilleicebears.com.
Ice Bears defenseman Dalton Skelly has been named the SPHL Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday afternoon. Skelly scored two goals and had two assists to help the Ice Bears to a pair of wins on the road in Evansville to open up the regular season this past weekend.
On Friday with the Ice Bears trailing 2-0, Skelly helped start Knoxville’s rally when he assisted on Cam Tobey’s second-period goal. Skelly received the puck at the right circle and dropped it up top to Tobey, who connected for Knoxville’s first goal of the season. Skelly fed the puck to Jason Brancheau late in the second period to setup Brancheau for a one-timer to tie the game at the second intermission. Skelly capped off a three-point night with the game-winning goal in overtime by carrying the puck into the right circle and firing a wrist shot on net to give Knoxville the win.
On Saturday, Skelly scored off a face-off win from Derek Osik in the left circle to tie the game in the second period. The Ice Bears would go on to win the game 3-2.
A fifth-year pro out of College of the Holy Cross, Skelly appeared in 16 games for Knoxville during the 2020-21 season. He spent the majority of the past three seasons in the ECHL with stints in Wichita and Allen.
The Ice Bears play their first two home games of the season against Quad City on Friday and Saturday at the Civic Coliseum. Puck drop for both games is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
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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