Ice Bears Fall in Shootout to Start Long Weekend
January 17, 2025 - SPHL (SPHL)
Knoxville Ice Bears News Release
Mitch Atkins had a four-point night, including the game-tying goal with 54 seconds remaining to force overtime, but the Ice Bears came up short in the shootout in a 6-5 loss to Quad City Friday night at Vibrant Arena.
Leif Mattson scored the only goal of the shootout in the seventh round after neither team could convert through the first six stanzas. Mattson also scored a go-ahead goal for Quad City with less than three minutes remaining to make it 5-4.
Atkins tied the game with a backdoor tap-in by the crease off a crossing feed from Dalton Skelly. The Ice Bears nearly won the game in overtime, but misfired from the left circle and through a chance from the slot over the crossbar. Stephen Mundinger stopped a potential game-winning goal from the slot earlier in the bonus period and denied Mattson on a breakaway late in overtime.
Quad City took the lead when Brandon Stojcevski tapped in a rebound after a shot was made into net-front traffic that caused the puck to come loose off the right side of the crease. The Storm scored a minute and a half later when Severi Savijoki put the puck on net from the back doorstep at 12:26 of the first.
Davis Kirkendall got Knoxville on the board with his first of the year at 15:06. Atkins lifted the puck into the neutral zone and Kirkendall tapped it into the zone and made his way around Savijoki for a breakaway. Kirkendall's shot hit Brent Moran before it popped up by him and skipped across the goal line.
Dawson McKinney tied the game for the Ice Bears at 8:13 of the second period. Atkins carried the puck up the left-wing boards and slipped it to Brayden Stannard in the circle. Stannard made a cross-ice feed to McKinney on the right side to slide the puck in behind Moran on a mostly open net for his eighth goal in nine games.
Jason Brancheau scored from in front at 16:16 to give Knoxville its first lead of the evening. Tyler Williams skated up the right wing and sent the puck to the low slot for Brancheau. The puck deflected off of Branceau's skate and into the net for his eighth of the season.
Tyler Vanuden scored 30 seconds later with a shot from the left circle to make it 3-3 at the end of the second.
Kirkendall's second of the night made it 4-3 at 12:01 of the third. Atkins sent the puck out in front of the crease from the right corner and Kirkendall's backhand eventually made its way past Moran.
Vanuden netted his second at 15:36 when he picked up a loose puck in the zone and swept across the crease to put the puck on net.
The two teams will play again Saturday night at Vibrant Arena.
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