Liljekvist's Double Overtime Blast Helps Ice Bears Grab 1-0 Series Lead
SPHL Knoxville Ice Bears

Liljekvist's Double Overtime Blast Helps Ice Bears Grab 1-0 Series Lead

Published on April 10, 2026 under SPHL (SPHL)
Knoxville Ice Bears News Release


Robin Liljekvist reacts after scoring the game-winning goal in game one of the President's Cup Playoffs first round Friday. PHOTO: Meara Selene. Robin Liljekvist scored at 2:27 of the second overtime period and the Knoxville Ice Bears took a 1-0 series lead with a 5-4 win over the Huntsville Havoc at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum Friday night in the first round of the President's Cup Playoffs.

Game Two of the best-of-three series is Saturday night in Huntsville.

Dawson McKinney fired wide from the left circle and the puck slid back to the point where Liljekvist kept it in play. He moved the puck up the wing to Jimmy Soper. Soper skated to the high slot where his shot attempt was blocked. Liljekvist followed up on the loose puck and slapped the puck over Brian Wilson to improve the Ice Bears to 4-2 all-time in playoff games that go to two overtimes or more.

Stephen Mundinger kept Knoxville in it through the first overtime period, stopping a cross-crease pass to the far side of the crease with a kick save. He caught a redirect from the perimeter with the pad from the left wing and gloved a shot from the right circle to stop a Huntsville odd-man rush.

Cole Golka opened the scoring for Huntsville when he slipped a breakaway underneath Mundinger just 1:24 into the opening period.

McKinney answered for Knoxville with a power play goal at the left circle at 4:54. He gave Knoxville the lead eight minutes later when Mitch Atkins slipped him a pass to the left hash and McKinney found the back of the net on the shot.

Jack Jaunich tied the game for the Havoc at 15:40 to end the first period with an even score.

Soper scored the only goal of the second when he muscled the puck up the right-wing boards and tried to send across to a man on the backdoor. Huntsville's Connor Fries tried to block the pass, but his stick inadvertently knocked the puck into the Huntsville net at 13:32.

Jared Westcott scored on the power play from the right circle at 2:39 of the third to give the Ice Bears the game's only two-goal lead. Carson Vance sent the puck behind the net to Soper, who found Westcott out in front and the ensuing shot beat Wilson short side.

Josh Kestner scored two goals four minutes apart to tie the game for Huntsville and ultimately force overtime.

Mundinger finished with 39 saves for the Ice Bears. Wilson made 45 stops for Huntsville.

Check out the Knoxville Ice Bears Statistics

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