Ice Bears Double up Bulls on New Year's Eve
December 31, 2024 - SPHL (SPHL)
Knoxville Ice Bears News Release
Tyler Williams scored twice, Dawson McKinney had a goal and two assists and the Knoxville Ice Bears doubled up the Birmingham Bulls 6-3 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum Tuesday night. Knoxville has won four of five meetings against Birmingham this season after being swept by the Bulls in six meetings a season ago.
Williams put Knoxville on the board early with a wrist shot from the left hash at 4:42. Derek Osik lifted the puck up the right wing where Jason Brancheau collected it with the glove as he entered the zone. Brancheau zipped a pass to Williams, who beat Daniel Davidson to make it 1-0.
Brendan Dowler scored his third goal of the season thanks to a cross-ice pass from McKinney from the left circle to the right. Dowler quickly shot the puck low and slipped it past Davidson at 10:58.
MacGregor Sinclair scored 25 seconds into the second period to get Birmingham on the scoresheet. Nikita Kozyrev beat Talor Joseph from the left circle at 7:39 to tie the game for the Bulls.
Carson Vance gave Knoxville the lead heading into the second intermission when he scored from the slot at 9:15. Daryk Dubé-Plouffe held the puck behind the net and snuck a pass off his backhand to Vance between the circle. Vance stopped the pass with his skate and lifted his shot past Davidson's blocker for his fifth goal of the season.
Osik took the puck up the right wing for a two-on-one. He skated into the right circle and beat Davidson five-hole to make it 4-2 at 1:28 of the third.
Drake Glover got Birmingham back to within one after Vance's clearing attempt off the glass hit the linesman and stayed in the zone. Kozyrev picked up the puck and fed it to Glover in the right circle for a one-timer that made its way past Joseph at 6:31.
McKinney received a long pass up the middle between two defensemen at the blue line from Brancheau and sprung loose for a breakaway. He shielded the puck up the slot before lifting a backhand over Davidson at 9:13.
Williams scored his second of the night on an empty net with less than two minutes remaining. Joseph finished with 30 saves for the Ice Bears. Davidson made 20 stops for Birmingham.
The Ice Bears host Macon on Friday night. Birmingham visits Pensacola on Friday.
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