For immediate release
For more information, contact: Joel Silverberg, Director of Broadcasting (865) 525-7825, joel@knoxvilleicebears.com.
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Ryan Kuzmich hit a rebound out of midair back into the net to give Knoxville the lead for good late in the third period and the Ice Bears defeated the Fayetteville Marksmen 4-2 at Crown Coliseum Thursday night.
Kuzmich finished with two goals and an assist. Ranon Joseph had a goal and an assist. Tim Kent had three assists and Spencer Bellina had two assists.
Blake Benson won a face off in the left circle back to Kent. Kent fed the puck to Joseph, who struck a one-timer that bounced off Kyle Curtin’s pad. The puck popped into the air of the side of the crease and Kuzmich swung and hit the puck back on net at 14:36.
Fayetteville nearly struck first early with a pass across the crease out of the slot, but Kolten Olynek got his stick on the shot and forced the puck wide.
Kuzmich scored the only goal of the first period to give the Ice Bears the lead at the first intermission. Joseph and Bellina worked to break the puck out of the Knoxville zone. Kent and Kuzmich exchanged the puck to gain the zone in transition and Kent’s shot from the left circle bounced off of Curtin. Kuzmich found the rebound in the right circle and threw it back on net, beating Curtin to the short side post at 10:18.
Stephen Mundinger stopped Fayetteville’s first major chance of the middle frame when he blocked Kyler Head from in front of the crease and stopped the ensuing rebound as well. He snagged Lucas Helland’s one-timer with a glove save and slid to his left to thwart a backdoor tap-in by Evan Pringle.
The Marksmen tied the game at 13:39 of the second. Payton Schaly found Blake Humphrey on the right wing. Humphrey slid the puck towards the front of the crease, where Shane Murphy was waiting for it. The pass deflected out of the tie up over Mundinger’s shoulder and Murphy was credited with the goal.
Joseph helped Knoxville regain the lead early in the third period with a one-time blast from the center blue line. With the Ice Bears on the power play, Kent quarterbacked the man advantage from the left wing. He passed the puck to Joseph, who teed off on the shot and the puck zipped past Curtin’s glove side for Joseph’s third goal of the season.
Schaly tied the game for Fayetteville at 12:45 of the third with a wrist shot from the right circle.
Frankie Ireland capped off the scoring with an empty net goal with less than two minutes remaining. Mundinger finished with 22 saves. Curtin made 28 stops in his pro debut.
The two teams will complete the back end of the home and home in Knoxville 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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