For immediate release

For more information, contact: Joel Silverberg, Director of Broadcasting (865) 525-7825,  joel@knoxvilleicebears.com.

Derek Osik scored 16 seconds into overtime and the Knoxville Ice Bears beat the Fayetteville Marksmen 3-2 at Crown Coliseum Saturday night.

The Ice Bears have won four of their last five games. Fayetteville has dropped two of its last three.

Tyler Williams took the opening face-off to begin the extra period and carried up the left wing before peeling back to the top of the circle. He exchanged the puck to Dalton Skelly, who skated up the wall before rifling a pass to the backdoor to Osik, who tapped put the puck on an open net for his eighth goal of the season.

The two teams battled through a physical third period in a game that featured only two total penalty minutes. Talor Joseph made 21 saves to collect his fifth win of the season, including a one-timer by Ryan Nolan from the slot in the third period and John Aonso’s attempt from the point later on.

Cam Tobey collected the puck along the right-wing wall and sent it into the slot where Eric Olson was waiting for it. Olson guided a quick shot over Ryan Kenny for his fourth goal of the season at 9:26.

Dawson McKinney gave the Ice Bears a 2-0 lead when he received a pass in the neutral zone from Davis Kirkendall, split a pair of defenders and lifted a backhand over Kenny from the left side of the crease at 15:47 for his ninth of the year.

Nolan scored late in the first to get Fayetteville on the board. Alex Gritz tied the game halfway through the second with a shot from the right circle. Kenny made 21 stops for the Marksmen.

Knoxville returns home to host Birmingham Sunday afternoon. Fayetteville heads to Pensacola on Friday.

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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