For immediate release
For more information, contact: Joel Silverberg, Director of Broadcasting (865) 525-7825, joel@knoxvilleicebears.com.
Stefan Brucato scored with 42 seconds remaining and the Knoxville Ice Bears defeated the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 5-4 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum Friday night.
Brucato finished with a goal and two assists to help the Ice Bears (31-8-4) move to 5-0-1 in their last six games. The Rail Yard Dawgs (18-15-7) have lost five of their last six.
After three penalties in under a minute gave the Ice Bears a 5-on-3, Knoxville shot the puck into traffic and a scramble by the crease ensued. Brucato located the loose puck outside the blue ice and lifted a backhand over a fallen Austyn Roudebush to put the Ice Bears ahead to stay.
C.J. Valerian opened the scoring for Roanoke when he scored on a wrist shot at 2:26. Roanoke broke the puck into the zone and worked it to Valerian, who managed to beat Sammy Bernard to put the Rail Yard Dawgs ahead early.
Knoxville responded quickly when Jared Nash scored his eighth of the year just 55 seconds later. Nash carried the puck into the zone, fired a shot from the high slot and punched in his own rebound past Henry Dill to tie the game.
Razmuz Waxin-Engback gave Knoxville the lead with a quick-strike goal 40 seconds later. Stefan Brucato fed Waxin-Engback the puck from behind the net to the slot and the ensuing one-timer slipped past Dill for Waxin-Engback’s 16th of the year.
Roanoke tied the game early in the second when Josh Nenadal stole a pass on the right wall and quickly found Brady Heppner behind Bernard for a backdoor goal. Bernard was replaced for Evan Moyse and finished with nine saves on 11 shots against. Moyse stopped 14 of 16 shots.
Dino Balsamo punched in a looses puck on the power play at 6:37 of the second to give Knoxville the lead back. J.B. Baker made it 4-2 after he slipped the puck past Dill from the right wall at 10:25. Dill was pulled for Roudebush after stopping 14 of 18 shots. Roudebush finished with ten saves.
Roanoke cut the deficit to one when Vojtech Zemlicka scored off a wrist shot from the slot at 12:40. Mac Jansen finished off a shorthanded three-on-one 27 seconds into the third to tie the game.
The two teams will face off again Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Coliseum. Tickets are available at www.knoxvilleicebears.com.
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.
-xxx-