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SPHL Knoxville Ice Bears

Ice Bears Clinch Playoff Spot Behind Scoring Surge

March 25, 2023 - SPHL (SPHL)
Knoxville Ice Bears News Release


Knoxville Ice Bears' Bailey Conger
Knoxville Ice Bears' Bailey Conger
(Knoxville Ice Bears)

The Knoxville Ice Bears clinched a playoff spot with a 8-6 win over the Macon Mayhem Saturday night at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum.

The Ice Bears remain the only team to appear in each postseason in the history of the SPHL. The win also snapped a three-game skid.

Bailey Conger stole a cross-ice pass at the Macon blue line right after the face off and sped into the zone for a breakaway. He buried a wrist shot past Trevor Martin to give Knoxville the lead ten seconds into the game.

Macon responded 21 seconds later when C.J. Hayes found Wyatt Trumbley with a centering pass right in front of the crease that Trumbly turned on net over Julian Sime. The Mayhem took at the lead at 4:50 when Nate Keeley pounced on a loose puck in front of the crease.

Dino Balsamo tied the game for Knoxville when Justin MacDonald slipped him the puck in the left circle. Balsamo skated to the front of the crease and beat Martin five-hole with a backhand at 8:15. Conger notched his second of the night when he carried the puck to the high slot and found the top shelf of the net with Jagger Williamson screening in front.

Tommy Munichiello tied the game again at 13:41 of the first with a rebound after Sime made a diving save from point-blank range. Macon took the lead into the first intermission when Hayes stole the puck at the blue line and finished a breakaway with a backhand past Sime at 15:15.

Rourke Russell punched the puck from in the crease after Williamson slid it across from the right side at 2:41 of the second to knot the score at 4-4. Razmuz Waxin-Engback scored at 5:03 with a wrist shot that split Martin's pads to give Knoxville the lead again.

David Nippard found a loose puck in the crease that got under Sime to tie the game for Macon at 11:07.

Russell scored his second of the period with a wrist shot from in front at 12:50 after Balsamo fed him the puck from behind the net. Waxin-Engback scored from in front of the crease when Ryan Devine found him all alone with a pass from the right point to give Knoxville a 7-5 lead at the second intermission.

Nick Pryce put Knoxville ahead by three when Williamson slipped him the puck from the slot to the right side of the crease. Pryce quickly chipped the puck past Martin for his 10th goal of the year at 9:34 of the third.

Nippard scored his second of the night at 13:08 to cap off the scoring. Sime finished with 32 saves for Knoxville. Martin stopped 14 for Macon.

Knoxville heads to Roanoke on Sunday to face the Rail Yard Dawgs. Macon visits Huntsville on Sunday.

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Knoxville Ice Bears' Bailey Conger
Knoxville Ice Bears' Bailey Conger
   



SPHL Stories from March 25, 2023


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