Boyko Makes History in 3-0 Win over Knoxville
Published on January 8, 2026 under SPHL (SPHL)
Macon Mayhem News Release
(KNOXVILLE, Tenn.) - The Mayhem won their third straight as Josh Boyko set the franchise record for saves made by a goaltender during his first career shutout in a 3-0 win over Knoxville.
The start of the game looked similar to last weekend's Friday night contest against Fayetteville, where the Mayhem couldn't get out of their own end. This time around though, Josh Boyko bailed out his team multiple times and kept Macon in the game. At 7:44, Michael Krupinski jumped into a breakout pass and fired the puck to the front of the net for Michael Herrera to poke it past Stephen Mundinger to give Macon a 1-0 lead. A few minutes later, Jonathan Bartuccio-Pereira was involved in a scary collision with the Ice Bears Dawson McKinney that resulted in a 5-minute major penalty for elbowing. The Mayhem killed off the penalty, and entered the intermission with a 1-0 lead.
In the second, the Mayhem turned the tides in their favor, outshooting Knoxville 9-7. Caleb Huffman and Paxton Leroux dropped the gloves, before the Mayhem went on the kill. After the successful kill, Stefan Miklakos was bumped up to Conor Witherspoon's line and immediately factored in, scoring his second goal of the season on a rebound created by Witherspoon. Both teams failed to convert on power plays, before the Mayhem went to the break with a 2-0 lead.
The Mayhem continued to push against the Ice Bears in the third period, controlling the play and limiting Knoxville's chances. Josh Boyko continued to put up a wall as the Mayhem held on in a low-event period until Stefan Miklakos potted the empty net goal for his first multi-goal game as a pro. Michael Herrera had the assist for his second consecutive multi-point effort. Josh Boyko made 31 saves, setting the Mayhem franchise record for saves by a goaltender at 1,671, and earning his first career shutout in the process.
The Mayhem are in Roanoke tomorrow and Saturday, but return home for Back to the Future night against Birmingham on Friday, January 16 at 7:00 PM ET. Guarantee your seat by purchasing tickets at maconmayhem.com.
SPHL Stories from January 8, 2026
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