For immediate release
For more information, contact: Joel Silverberg, Director of Broadcasting (865) 525-7825, joel@knoxvilleicebears.com.
Knoxville outscored Birmingham 7-2 in regulation, Birmingham scored in overtime and the Ice Bears scored the only goal in the shootout to give the Ice Bears an unofficial 8-3 win over the Bulls in a preseason game at UT Federal Credit Union Home Ice at the Civic Coliseum Friday night.
Drew King scored the opening goal at 3:47 for Knoxville when he stole the puck in the Birmingham zone and beat Dysen Skinner’s glove. King, a former Tennessee Ice Vol and the team’s current head coach, is the Knoxville Ice Bears’ Corporate Sales Executive in the organization’s front office. He was signed to the lineup for the preseason game earlier Friday afternoon.
Blake Tosto scored two minutes later on a transition play to make it 2-0. Tyler Williams fed Tosto the puck from the neutral zone and Tosto carried into the slot and fired past Skinner.
Kyren Gronick scored off a rebound to get Birmingham on the board at 9:48.
Williams scored from the right circle off a pass from Tosto to make it 3-1 at 14:53. Nathan Carl ripped a drag shot from the left circle to give Knoxville its fourth goal before the end of the first period.
Conor Breen scored from in front of the crease off a pass from behind the net by Jimmy Soper at 14:03 of the second. Noah Finstrom scored with a one-timer from the left circle on a power play at 18:59 to make it 6-1 at the second intermission.
Robin Liljekvist struck a one-timer from the right circle that found its way in past Hayden Stewart at 9:11 to give the Ice Bears a six-goal lead in the third period.
Filimon Ledziankou capped off the scoring with seven seconds left in the third with a shot from the right circle that beat emergency backup goaltender Phil Krawec.
Michael Herrera scored at 3:13 in overtime during the extra session to send the game to the shootout.
Hunter Virostek stopped all five Birmingham shooters and Finstrom netted a shot past Stewart in the fifth round to close it out.
The Ice Bears open the regular season next Saturday in Fayetteville. The Bulls will host Evansville Friday night.
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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