For immediate release

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

Carson Vance scored 3:25 into the overtime period and the Knoxville Ice Bears defeated the Huntsville Havoc 3-2 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum Friday night.

The Ice Bears have won two straight and have gone to overtime in 12 of their 34 games so far this season. Knoxville went 6-for-6 on the penalty kill—including 4-for-4 in the third period.

Vance ended the night with a one-timer from the right circle. With the Ice Bears on the power play, Dalton Skelly zipped a pass from the left circle to the right dot where Vance beat Mike Robinson to the short-side post for his seventh goal of the season.

Huntsville tied the game with less than three minutes remaining in the third period to force overtime when Cam Cervone scored from the right wing. The Havoc nearly won the game earlier in the extra period, but Stephen Mundinger kept out a sweeping Phil Elgstam with the left pad. Mundinger made 42 saves on the night.

Dawson McKinney took the puck off a takeaway in the Huntsville zone and made his way to the slot. His wrist shot missed the near-side post and hit the wall and came back to the left side of the crease. Derek Osik followed up the play and knocked the puck into the net over Robinson for his tenth of the season at 13:29 of the first.

Jason Brancheau extended Knoxville’s lead when he struck a loose puck on net at 14:42 of the second. Carson Vance poked the puck up the left wing out of the zone and chased after it into the Huntsville end. He threw the puck across into the crease where it bounced off of Robinson and Brancheau cleaned up the rebound for his tenth of the year.

Sam Ruffin got the Havoc on the board two minutes later when his wrist shot from the right circle was deflected and jumped over Mundinger and into the net.

The two teams will square off again in Knoxville 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.

-xxx-