For immediate release
For more information, contact: Joel Silverberg, Director of Broadcasting (865) 525-7825, joel@knoxvilleicebears.com.
Jason Brancheau put Knoxville ahead for good late in the second period, Stephen Mundinger made 26 saves and the Knoxville Ice Bears won against the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 2-1 Friday night at the Berglund center in Virginia.
The Ice Bears have won four of their last five. Roanoke has dropped four of six.
Eric Olson scored on the power play for Knoxville when he smacked a loose puck from the slot past Austyn Roudebush for his seventh of the seaso
n. Kyle Soper carried the puck into the zone and fed it to Lucas Helland atop the right circle. Helland dished it to Carson Vance at the center point. Roanoke’s Brendan Pepe blocked Vance’s attempt from the blue line and Olson cleaned up the rebound to make it 1-0 at 16:51.
Mundinger provided big saves early to keep Knoxville in front at the first intermission. He stopped Daniel Chladek on a breakaway and blockered away Ryan Reifler’s rebound attempt from the slot.
Roanoke evened the score at 10:51 of the second when C.J. Valerian netted a one-timer from between the circles.
Mitch Atkins kept the puck in the zone on the forecheck and found Noah Finstrom outside the right circle. FInstrom slid the puck to Kodi Schwarz at the right point for a shot that bounced off Roudebush and Brancheau put the backhand rebound on net for his 13th of the season to give Knoxville a 2-1 edge at the second intermission.
Mundinger continued to make key saves to maintain Knoxville’s advantage through the second. He kept out a point-blank attempt from in front by Mac Jansen on the power play and fought off a look from Matt O’Dea as he was coming through the right circle.
Roanoke went on the power play and pulled Roudebush to skate six-on-four for the final seconds of regulation, but Mundinger saved Jacob Kelly’s one-timer chance from in front of the crease and held onto Nick Ford’s blast from the left circle. Roudebush finished with 26 saves.
Knoxville heads to Macon on Saturday night. Roanoke visits Fayetteville Saturday.
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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