Ice Bears Muscle Past Top-Ranked Rivermen in Defensive Win
March 15, 2025 - SPHL (SPHL)
Knoxville Ice Bears News Release
Knoxville Ice Bears' Mitch Atkins in action
(Knoxville Ice Bears)
Tyler Williams and Mitch Atkins both scored, Stephen Mundinger made 27 saves and the Knoxville Ice Bears defeated the Peoria Rivermen 2-1 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum Saturday night.
The Ice Bears have won three of four. Peoria has dropped three of its past five games.
Shots were at a premium in the first period as both teams limited opportunities defensively. Dawson McKinney had Knoxville's best chance on the power play, but his shot from the left circle was stopped by a sliding save from Nick Latinovich. Stephen Mundinger made a blocker save on Peoria's best opportunity when JM Piotrowski got loose for a breakaway. Mundinger denied the initial attempt and stopped the follow-up with the left pad.
Williams broke the scoreless tie for Knoxville with a wrist shot goal from the slot at 3:48. Brendan Dowler collected the puck in his own end and fired a long pass up the right wing to Williams, who carried across between the circles and lifted his shot over Latinovich's blocker for his 15th of the season.
Atkins scored on a backdoor tap-in at 6:58 to give Knoxville a 2-0 edge. Cam Tobey and Lucas Helland worked the puck up the right wing to McKinney, who accelerated into a two-on-one. McKinney patiently waited for an opening around a Peoria defenseman before sending the puck across to Atkins, who finished off the play for his second goal in as many nights.
Andrew Poulias scored from the right circle for Peoria to make it a one-goal game with just over five minutes remaining. Peoria pulled Latinovich in an attempt to tie the score, but Mundinger gloved Michael Ferrandino's perimeter chance from the right point and the Ice Bears shut down the Rivermen the rest of the way. Latinovich made 18 saves.
Knoxville visits Roanoke on Friday. Peoria is at Huntsville on Friday.
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 Knoxville Ice Bears' Mitch Atkins in action |
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