For immediate release
For more information, contact: Joel Silverberg, Director of Broadcasting (865) 525-7825, joel@knoxvilleicebears.com.
Kristian Stead made 47 saves and the Knoxville Ice Bears defeated the Macon Mayhem 7-3 in front of a sold out Knoxville Civic Coliseum Saturday night. The Ice Bears have won three straight and six of their last seven.
Macon jumped out in front first with a power play goal less than three minutes into the game. Tommy Munichiello advanced to puck up the left wing and found Caleb Cameron in the left circle. Cameron’s one-timer beat Stead down low to make it 1-0 at 2:46.
Justin MacDonald tied the game for Knoxville with a goal from the slot at 9:45 of the first. Dino Balsamo found MacDonald at center and his wrist shot bounced in off the crossbar behind Macon’d Cody Karpinski.
Brett Ouderkirk gave Knoxville the lead 34 seconds later when Bailey Conger poked the puck free in the neutral zone towards the Macon blue line. Ouderkirk swept up the puck and was alone on a breakaway, which he finished by lifting the backhand over Karpinski. Conger made it 3-1 before the first intermission with a wrist shot from the left circle at 17:48.
The Ice Bears scored early in the second when Razmuz Waxin-Engback found the twine at 2:24. Nick Pryce fed the puck to Colton Fletcher in the right circle on the rush. Fletcher spun back and sent a backhanded pass into the slot where Waxin-Engback was all alone and Karpinski was out of the crease.
Rourke Russell made it 5-1 with a shot from the high slot on the power play that banked in off the post at 9:42. The fifth goal ended Karpinski’s night with just six saves as he was pulled for Jeremie Forget.
Nick Pryce tapped in a loose puck off the goal line after Cam Hough’s breakaway attempt hit Forget and sat in the crease at 15:02.
Macon responded seconds later with a power play goal by Tommy Munichiello. The Mayhem scored midway through the third period on the power play again when Reid Yochim’s shot form the high slot beat Stead through traffic.
Hough scored off a centering pass from Pryce with 33 seconds remaining to cap off the scoring. Hough now has 18 points in his last 11 games.
Forget finished with eight saves. Knoxville was outshot 50-21.
Knoxville remains home to welcome Roanoke on Friday night. Macon returns to Georgia to host Birmingham 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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