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For more information, contact: Joel Silverberg, Director of Broadcasting (865) 525-7825, joel@knoxvilleicebears.com.
Tyler Williams had a goal and two assists, six different Ice Bears scored goals and Knoxville doubled up the Huntsville Havoc 6-3 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum Saturday night.
Tyler Stewart, Kyle Soper, Dawson McKinney, Blake Tosto and Denver Craig also scored for Knoxville, winners of three of its last four games. Connor Green made 31 saves for his fourth win in seven starts.
Green was tested early when he stopped Kevin Weaver-Vitale from the left dot about six minutes into the opening period. Moments later he denied Austin Alger’s breakaway chance and kept out Connor Galloway’s quick release from the right circle.
Knoxville had its chances in the opening frame, but settled for a scoreless first period. Brian Wilson gloved McKinney’s wrist shot from the slot and late kicked up McKinney’s breakaway backhand over the crossbar. Wilson made a pad save on Davide Gaeta’s attempt in front and blocked McKinney’s look from the right circle off a crossing pass from Williams on the odd-man rush.
Charlie Risk put Huntsville in front early in the second when he intercepted a breakout pass, skated through the left circle and beat Green top shelf at 3:23.
Williams tied the game for Knoxville when McKinney slipped him a breakout pass to generate a two-on-one. Williams and Jimmy Soper connected on a give-and-go and Williams put the puck past Wilson for his 12th goal of the season.
Stewart gave Knoxville the lead moments later on the power play when Tosto fed him from the left goal line to the right circle and Stewart’s one-timer connected with the twine for his second career goal. Williams carried the puck through the left circle and found Tosto down low to setup the pass across for Stewart.
Kyle Soper extended Knoxville’s advantage when he collected the puck up the left wing and threw it towards the net and the puck snuck underneath Wilson for Soper’s fifth of the year. Cole Mickel dumped in the puck from the neutral zone around the boards and Soper crept in as the puck made its way up the wall to him for the goal at 11:07.
Ben Schulteis stopped a clearing attempt at the blue line and fired a shot that had eyes through traffic to score with two seconds remaining in the period, leaving Knoxville with a 3-2 lead at the second intermission.
Green continued to make quality stops to keep Knoxville in front through 40 minutes. He held onto Craig McCabe’s chance from the slot on a three-on-two, and stopped a shorthanded breakaway chance later in the period.
Knoxville opened the third period with McKinney’s goal at 1:27. Jared Westcott sent the puck up the boards and Huntsville misplayed it at the point. Williams raced up the left wing to create a two-on-one. He slid the puck cross-crease to McKinney, who beat Wilson five-hole to make it 4-2.
Schulteis scored on the power play from the perimeter at 14:50 to pull the Havoc to within one.
Tosto scored 12 seconds later when he carried the puck to the left circle and threw it towards the crease. His shot deflected off Weaver-Vitale’s skate and into the net.
Craig scored his first goal as an Ice Bear and sixth of the season with an empty net goal with 30 seconds remaining. Wilson made 36 saves for Huntsville.
The Ice Bears will host Peoria on Friday. Huntsville heads to Evansville to take on the Thunderbolts Sunday afternoon.
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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