Ice Bears Defeat Dawgs 2-1 on the Road
Published on March 21, 2025 under SPHL (SPHL)
Knoxville Ice Bears News Release
Knoxville Ice Bears' Jason Brancheau
(Knoxville Ice Bears)
Jason Brancheau put Knoxville ahead for good late in the second period, Stephen Mundinger made 26 saves and the Knoxville Ice Bears won against the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 2-1 Friday night at the Berglund center in Virginia.
The Ice Bears have won four of their last five. Roanoke has dropped four of six.
Eric Olson scored on the power play for Knoxville when he smacked a loose puck from the slot past Austyn Roudebush for his seventh of the season. Kyle Soper carried the puck into the zone and fed it to Lucas Helland atop the right circle. Helland dished it to Carson Vance at the center point. Roanoke's Brendan Pepe blocked Vance's attempt from the blue line and Olson cleaned up the rebound to make it 1-0 at 16:51.
Mundinger provided big saves early to keep Knoxville in front at the first intermission. He stopped Daniel Chladek on a breakaway and blockered away Ryan Reifler's rebound attempt from the slot.
Roanoke evened the score at 10:51 of the second when C.J. Valerian netted a one-timer from between the circles.
Mitch Atkins kept the puck in the zone on the forecheck and found Noah Finstrom outside the right circle. FInstrom slid the puck to Kodi Schwarz at the right point for a shot that bounced off Roudebush and Brancheau put the backhand rebound on net for his 13th of the season to give Knoxville a 2-1 edge at the second intermission.
Mundinger continued to make key saves to maintain Knoxville's advantage through the second. He kept out a point-blank attempt from in front by Mac Jansen on the power play and fought off a look from Matt O'Dea as he was coming through the right circle.
Roanoke went on the power play and pulled Roudebush to skate six-on-four for the final seconds of regulation, but Mundinger saved Jacob Kelly's one-timer chance from in front of the crease and held onto Nick Ford's blast from the left circle. Roudebush finished with 26 saves.
Knoxville heads to Macon on Saturday night. Roanoke visits Fayetteville Saturday.
Images from this story
 Knoxville Ice Bears' Jason Brancheau |
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