Ice Bears Can't Tie Late, Fall to Pensacola at Home
SPHL Knoxville Ice Bears

Ice Bears Can't Tie Late, Fall to Pensacola at Home

Published on January 24, 2026 under SPHL (SPHL)
Knoxville Ice Bears News Release


Knoxville threatened to tie the game late, but couldn't get the equalizing goal before a late empty-net goal for Pensacola sealed the game as the Ice Bears fell to the Ice Flyers 4-2 at the Civic Coliseum Saturday afternoon.

Cam Gaudette scored from the left dot 26 seconds into the third period to put Pensacola ahead for good. Ethan Price scored on the empty net in the final minute just moments after Knoxville nearly tied the game, but Ryan Kuzmich's backdoor chance deflected high and Tyler Williams' one-timer from the right circle was blocked out of play.

Blake Tosto and Jason Brancheau won a wall battle behind the Pensacola net with the latter ringing the puck up the boards to the left wing to Kyle Soper, who wisely turned it back to Jared Westcott at the blue line. Westcott slid the puck to the right point to Hlib Varava. Tosto swept across the front of the crease and redirected Varava's shot over Billy Girard's left shoulder to give the Ice Bears a 1-0 lead at 11:19 of the first.

Cooper Jones tied the game for Pensacola with a shot through a screen at 15:21. Sam Rhodes gave Jones the puck at the blue line and the ensuing shot made its way through bodies and over Noah Giesbrecht.

Pensacola nearly took the lead before the first intermission when Ethan Price stole an errant pass in the right circle in the Knoxville zone, but Giesbrecht made a glove save on Price's short-range attempt to keep the score deadlocked at the break.

Knoxville retook the lead with Brayden Stannard's goal at 3:02 of the second. Dawson McKinney took a loose puck through the neutral zone to put Knoxville on the odd-man rush. He slipped a feed across the crease to Stannard, who put a quick shot past Girard to make it 2-1.

The Ice Flyers knotted up the score less than three minutes later when Andrew Poulias snuck a shot underneath Giesbrecht on the rush. Ethan Price fed a backhand from the left wing to center and Poulias' shot managed to get below the Knoxville net minder at 5:54.

Giesbrecht kept the score tied through the second. He stopped Gaudette's wrist shot from the high slot and slid across the crease to block Tyrone Bronte's shot from in front. A turnover in the Knoxville zone created a big chance for Pensacola, but Jarret Kup broke up the play on the back check before Mike Moran could get his shot off.

Giesbrecht made 27 saves. Girard stopped 36 shots for Pensacola.

Knoxville continues its current five-game homestead to face Macon on Friday. Pensacola returns home to host Fayetteville Friday night.

Check out the Knoxville Ice Bears Statistics

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SPHL Stories from January 24, 2026


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