For immediate release
For more information, contact: Joel Silverberg, Director of Broadcasting (865) 525-7825, joel@knoxvilleicebears.com.
Stephen Mundinger stopped 32 shots, Tyler Williams and Jason Brancheau each had a goal and an assist and the Knoxville Ice Bears scored four unanswered goals to defeat the Birmingham Bulls 5-2 at the Pelham Civic Complex Saturday night.
The Ice Bears have won three straight. Birmingham has lost five in a row to open up the regular season.
Jimmy Soper’s one-timer from the high slot gave Knoxville a 1-0 lead 5:58 into the opening period. Tyler and Andrew Kurapov worked the puck into the Birmingham zone before Williams dropped it to Soper from the left circle and Soper beat Hayden Stewart with a quick release for his first goal of the season.
Arkhip Ledziankou answered 18 seconds later for Birmingham when he scored off a cross-ice feed from his brother Filimon at the right hash. Matthew Wood scored on a breakaway at 13:20 to give the Bulls a 2-1 lead at the first intermission.
Williams tied the game for Knoxville with a shorthanded goal at 8:59 of the second. Jarret Kup intercepted the puck in the neutral zone and poked it ahead to the left circle for Williams. Williams fired a wrist shot over the left shoulder of Stewart for his third of the season.
Knoxville retook the lead for good when Cam Tobey fired a puck from the point and Brancheau redirected it top shelf to make it 3-2 at the break.
Mundinger shut the door on Birmingham the rest of the way. He slid across the crease and knocked an Arkhip Ledziankou shot over the crossbar to deny Birmingham a power play goal and later flashed the leather to stop a wrister from Filimon.
Davide Gaeta scored his first SPHL goal with four minutes left in the third to give Knoxville the insurance marker. Eric Olson intercepted a cross-ice pass at the blue line, sent a pass to the left circle and Gaeta put a shot over Stewart’s glove to make it 4-2.
Blake Tosto scored an empty net goal with a minute and a half to go to cap off the scoring detail.
Knoxville returns home to welcome Pensacola for two games on Friday and Saturday. Birmingham host Roanoke 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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