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For more information, contact: Joel Silverberg, Director of Broadcasting (865) 525-7825, joel@knoxvilleicebears.com.
Andrew Kurapov scored two goals, including the equalizer in the third period to force overtime, but the Ice Bears couldn’t push out in front again as Knoxville lost to the Peoria Rivermen 5-4 after a shootout at the Peoria Civic Center Friday night.
Connor Szmul scored the shootout winner in the eighth round for Peoria. Tyler Williams tied the shootout in the fifth round to keep Knoxville alive after Garrett Devine scored on the preceding shot.
Kyle Soper opened the scoring with a wrist shot from atop the right circle that beat Nick Latinovich’s blocker at 5:34 of the first. Blake Tosto won the face-off back to Soper, who quickly released his shot to the far-side post for his first goal of the season.
Alec Baer evened the score on the power play at 13:12. Mike Gelatt’s shot from the right circle was knocked down by Brayden Barker in front of the crease and he slipped it to Baer for the backdoor tap-in.
Knoxville retook the lead 38 seconds later to gain a 2-1 edge going into the first intermission. Tyler Williams cycled the puck from the corner out to Carson Vance at the point. Vance skated across to the right wing and down towards the right goal line. He delivered a backhand saucer pass to Kurapov at the bottom of the left circle and Kurapov lifted the puck over Latinovich for his fifth of the year.
Stephen Mundinger helped preserve Knoxville’s lead through the opening 20 minutes. He stopped Khaden Henry on a wraparound try and kicked away Garrett Devine’s point-blank shot from in front with his left pad.
Henry tied the game for Peoria at 6:12 of the second by finishing a breakaway. The Rivermen grabbed their first lead of the night when Szmul poked in a loose puck at a tough angle at 9:36.
Knoxville drew even with Brendan Dowler’s shorthanded goal from the right point. Tyler Williams anticipated a Peoria pass in the neutral zone and stole the puck at the Peoria blue line. He skated up the middle before backhanding a pass to Dowler who fired a wrist shot past Latinovich’s blocker for his second of the year at 13:31.
Knoxville would have been trailing at the break had it not been for Mundinger, who robbed Michael McChesney with a glove save from in front of the crease off a rebound chance for the SPHL’s leading goal scorer.
Henry netted his second of the night with a goal from in front of the crease 43 seconds into the third period.
Kurapov provided the fourth tie of the game when he redirected Jarret Kup’s shot between Latinovich’s pads at 4:47. Jared Westcott won an offensive zone face-off back to Kup, who carried the puck to the high slot and shot the puck low, where Kurapov got his stick on it to slide underneath Latinovich for his sixth goal of the season.
Knoxville nearly won the game in overtime, but Westcott’s breakaway chance was stopped by Latinovich. Williams and Davide Gaeta had chances to deliver the shootout winner in the sixth and seventh rounds, respectively, but Latinovich denied both attempts.
The two teams continue the three-game weekend tomorrow 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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