Ice Bears Sweep Pensacola with 3OT Win
April 15, 2018 - SPHL (SPHL)
Knoxville Ice Bears News Release
Knoxville, TN - Lawrence Cornellier scored at 9:01 of the third overtime and the Knoxville Ice Bears beat the Pensacola Ice Flyers 4-3 to sweep their first round series 2-0 and advance to the President's Cup semifinals.
Zoltan Hetenyi made 46 saves for Knoxville. Brian Billet stopped 62 shots for the Ice Flyers. Pensacola selected Knoxville with the third pick of the SPHL's new Challenge Round.
Conellier's game-winner came when he redirected a shot from the left point in the slot past Billet's left pad. The game ended as the second longest in SPHL history.
Eliot Grauer struck early for Knoxville when he carried a loose puck from center ice into the high slot and fired a wrist shot that beat Billet's glove at 4:47. Pensacola responded quickly when a deflected shot by Liam Kerins landed on the opposite end of the crease for Charlie Adams to backhand the puck into the open net less than two minutes later.
Jessyko Bernard scored just 39 seconds into the second period with a shot that banked off the crossbar and dropped behind the goal line. Adams grabbed his second of the night with a shorthanded goal at 9:33. Grauer's second goal at 12:37 brought Knoxville back to within one going into the second intermission.
David Brancik scored at 9:16 of the third to tie the game for the Ice Bears.
Knoxville's best chance to end the game in the first overtime period came midway through the frame when Lawrence Cornellier fielded a saucer pass behind the defense at the blue line, but his breakaway shot missed high to Billet's glove side.
Pensacola nearly won it with just under five minutes to play in the period. Hetenyi made a pad save on a shot from the bottom of the left circle and then stretched across the net to glove down a wide open rebound.
In the second overtime Pensacola almost scored on a wraparound, but Hetenyi stretched out the left pad to keep the puck out of the net.
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SPHL Stories from April 15, 2018
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- RiverKings' Lose 5-2 in Huntsville to End Season - Mississippi RiverKings
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- SPHL Announces President's Cup Second Round Schedule - SPHL
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- Mayhem Advance to President's Cup Semi-Finals with 8-0 Win over Evansville - Macon Mayhem
- Mayhem Game Notes: Challenge Round Game #3 (Mayhem vs. Thunderbolts) - Macon Mayhem
- Ice Bears Sweep Pensacola with 3OT Win - Knoxville Ice Bears
- Ice Flyers End Post-Season Run Following 4-3 Triple Overtime Loss to Ice Bears - Pensacola Ice Flyers
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