For immediate release

For more information, contact: Joel Silverberg, Director of Broadcasting (865) 525-7825,  joel@knoxvilleicebears.com.

Kyle Clarke and Rob Darrar scored three minutes apart to break a 4-4 tie in the third period and the Knoxville Ice Bears fell to the Huntsville Havoc 6-4 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum Friday night.

The Ice Bears (32-9-4) had a seven-game point streak snapped with the loss. The Havoc (33-9-2) have now won three straight.

Clarke scored off a rebound at 2:13 to put Huntsville ahead to stay. A shot by Sam Williams deflected to the right circle and Bryce Ferrell teed off on the puck. Tristan Cote-Cazenave stopped the initial shot, but Clarke cleaned up the rebound to make it 5-4.

With Knoxville on the power play trying to tie the game, Anthony McVeigh was called for hooking. Rob Darrar scored on the ensuing man advantage for Huntsville to give the Havoc a two-goal edge.

Huntsville struck first early when Tyler Piacentini skated around Evan Moyse in front of the crease and buried the puck just 1:25 into the game. Nate Pionk doubled the lead less than 90 seconds later with a screened wrist shot from the left circle.

Razmuz Waxin-Engback cut the deficit in half with a shot from the right side at 10:08. Waxin-Engback slipped the puck to Stepan Timofeyev in the slot on the rush. Timofeyev skated to the left hash and dropped it back to J.B. Baker, who finessed a backhand pass between Nolan Kaiser’s legs back to Waxin-Engback to set up his 18th goal of the season.

Bauer Neudecker made a move around Charlie Granath at the blue line before skating in and lifting the puck over Moyse at 16:07 to make it 3-1 Huntsville.

Timofeyev brought Knoxville back within a goal with his 13th of the year with 43 seconds remaining before the first intermission. After the puck was poked loose into the right corner with Knoxville on the power play, Stefan Brucato retrieved it and found Timofeyev in the slot from the right circle. Timofeyev kicked the puck off his own skate and tapped it between Hunter Vorva’s pads to make it 3-2 at the end of the first.

Piacentini got his second of the night on the power play at 2:34 of the second. A shot was sent into the crease, where Moyse stopped it, but Piacentini picked up the loose puck and put it into the net to make it 4-2. Moyse was pulled a few moments later in place of Cote-Cazenave. Moyse finished with four saves.

Jason Price scored on the power play to bring Knoxville back to within one at 8:26 for his 10th of the season. Baker received a long pass at the blue line and saucered the puck to Price streaking down the slot. Price was able to finish the rush and beat Vorva. Vorva finished with 27 saves. Cote-Cazenave stopped 12 shots in his Ice Bears debut.

The Ice Bears tied the game at 15:40 with Dino Balsamo getting his own rebound in front of the crease. Jared Nash won a face-off in the right circle and slipped it to Balsamo, who was all alone. His first shot was stopped by Vorva, but Balsamo had time to collect the rebound and score his team-leading 23rd of the season.

The Ice Bears will travel to Birmingham to take on the Bulls Saturday night. Huntsville will head to Illinois for a pair of games against Vermilion County Saturday and Sunday.

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, 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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