For immediate release
For more information, contact: Joel Silverberg, Director of Broadcasting (865) 525-7825, joel@knoxvilleicebears.com.
Derek Osik scored a hat trick, but the Knoxville Ice Bears couldn’t erase an early deficit as Knoxville fell to the Fayetteville Marksmen 10-4 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum Friday night.
Knoxville has lost three straight and five of its last six. Fayetteville has scored 16 goals in its last two games after dropping ten straight.
Tyler Love scored early for Fayetteville when he put back a rebound off Nick Parody’s shot attempt past Zane Steeves at 2:30. Zack Nazzarett made it 2-0 just over a minute later when Adam Pitters slipped him the puck across the slot to the left side and Nazzarrett beat Steeves one-on-one for his first career goal.
Connor Fries tipped in a cross-ice pass from Tyler Barrow in front of the crease to make it 3-0 just over four minutes into the game. Steeves was pulled in favor of Riley Morris following the third goal.
Tyler Kobryn found a loose puck in front of the crease and put it past Morris at 5:18. The Marksmen made it 5-0 when Simon Boyko blasted a one-timer from the left circle at 10:56.
Osik got Knoxville on the board with a shorthanded goal at 14:52. Tyler Rollo stole the puck at the point and generated a two-on-one. Rollo held the puck as he skated up the left circle before sliding it across to the right side to Osik. Osik’s wrist shot beat Brandon Perrone’s glove to the short side post.
Fries scored off a redirect of Jamie Dorsey’s shot from the high slot at 7:03 of the second and completed his hat trick five minutes later by poking a loose puck over Morris in the crease.
Troy Murray scored on a breakaway for Knoxville at 15:56. Davis Kirkendall kept the puck in the zone up the right wing on a breakout by Fayetteville. Cole McKechney made a spinning backhand pass to an open Murray in the slot. Murray patiently waited for Perrone to make a move before putting a forehand shot behind him for his sixth of the season.
Osik netted his second of the night on the power play when Rollo sent the puck through the right circle to Jason Price. Price made a backhand pass across to the left hash where Osik quickly shot it past Perrone’s blocker at 5:26 of the third.
Boyko scored his second of the night to make it 8-3 at 7:11.
Osik completed the hat trick by crashing the crease and putting the puck on net from a centering pass by Daryk Dubé-Plouffe from the left corner at 10:38 of the third.
Barrow scored 15 seconds later to make it 9-4 and Nazzarrett capped off the scoring by banking the puck into the net off of Morris from behind the goal line. Morris was relieved following the goal and Steeves finished out the game. Morris finished with 20 saves, Steeves had seven and Perrone made 25 stops for Fayetteville.
The two teams head back to Fayetteville to close out the home-and-home weekend at Crown Coliseum Saturday 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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