For immediate release
For more information, contact: Joel Silverberg, Director of Broadcasting (865) 525-7825, joel@knoxvilleicebears.com.
Ryan Kuzmich and Blake Tosto each had two goals and an assist, Cristian Wong-Ramos made 44 saves in his SPHL debut and the Knoxville Ice Bears held on after a monster start to beat the Pensacola Ice Flyers 7-4 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum Friday night.
Tyler Williams struck first for Knoxville when he buried a close-range chance on a transition play at 6:18 of the first. Jimmy Soper broke out the puck up the left wing for Williams, who accelerated through the circle and slipped a shot past Logan Flodell for his tenth of the year.
Kuzmich added to Knoxville’s lead when he redirected a Jason Brancheau shot past Flodell’s glove at 12:40. Blake Tosto and Hlib Varava worked the puck around the perimeter back to Brancheau. Kuzmich snuck towards the left hash to deflect Brancheau’s shot to make it 2-0.
Wong-Ramos was tested early in his first career SPHL start, but made it through the first period unscathed. He stopped Zack Jones on a wraparound and fought off Jones’ wrist shot from the left circle by knocking it away with the glove.
Tosto scored twice less than a minute apart early in the second period to give the Ice Bears a 4-0 lead. Kuzmich won a wall battle and skated through the right circle before dishing a pass across to Tosto, who teed off on the one-timer from the left hash. The third goal ended Flodell’s night and he was relieved by Troy Kobryn. Flodell finished with 16 saves.
Tosto poked back his own rebound underneath Kobryn after the latter stopped an initial shot attempt from in front.
Jared Westcott fielded a long pass up the middle from Davide Gaeta and skated through on a clean breakaway before flipping a backhand past Kobryn to make it 5-0 just three minutes into the third.
Tyrone Bronte scored twice three and a half minutes apart for the Ice Flyers to get Pensacola on the board. Nicholas Aromatario put back a rebound on net after Wong-Ramos stopped Ethan Price’s breakaway look to make it 5-3 at 9:24 of the second.
Billy Roche scored from the slot at 14:58 to give Knoxville a three-goal lead. Jimmy Soper won a face-off back to Roche at the right point. Roche threw the puck around the boards to the opposite wing where Carson Vance carried up the left side before sliding a pass to Roche between the circles. Roche’s wrist shot had eyes through a net-front roadblock and made its way to the net for his third of the season.
Cam Gaudette scored a power play goal for Pensacola at 12:06 of the third to make it 6-4.
Kuzmich netted his second when he scored on an empty net with just over a minute remaining. Kobryn finished with 18 saves for the Ice Flyers.
The two teams will play for the fourth consecutive game tomorrow night at the Civic Coliseum.
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.
-xxx-
