Mammoth Comeback Effort Falls Just Short for Ice Bears
February 1, 2025 - SPHL (SPHL)
Knoxville Ice Bears News Release
Knoxville Ice Bears' Jason Brancheau
(Knoxville Ice Bears)
The Knoxville Ice Bears scored four unanswered goals and nearly tied the game after facing a five-goal deficit, but the comeback attempt fell just short in a 6-4 loss to the Peoria Rivermen Saturday night at the Civic Coliseum.
With the Ice Bears trailing 5-0 with less than ten minutes to go in the second period, Knoxville scored three power play goals in a span of 2:21 to cut into the deficit before the second intermission. Jason Brancheau started the rally by redirecting the puck on net from a feed at the blue line by Dalton Skelly.
Back-to-back Peoria penalties gave Knoxville a 5-on-3. Derek Osik tapped in the puck from in front of the crease off a pass from Mitch Atkins and Skelly brought Knoxville to within two when his shot from the left side hit a Peoria stick and bounced into the net.
Tyler Williams scored from the right side of the crease at 2:45 of the third period to make it 5-4. With the puck behind the net Brancheau slipped the puck to Williams, whose initial shot went wide, but a return feed from Brancheau allowed Williams to lift the puck over Ricky Gonzalez into the top shelf of the net.
Knoxville nearly tied the game later in the period on the power play, but a shot from the right side slipped past Gonzalez and sat on the goal line without crossing. Logan Coomes missed an attempt from the slot and Gonzalez stopped Eric Olson's attempt from the point.
Knoxville pulled goalie Talor Joseph in a final attempt to even the score, but a pair of shots from the left circle were blocked and Zach Wilkie scored his fourth goal of the game on an empty net with three seconds remaining to seal the game.
Alec Baer scored a minute and a half into the game when he snuck into the right circle and swept across the front of the crease before putting a backhand on net.
Wilkie scored from the left circle during a 4-on-4 sequence at 4:48 and added his second of the night from atop the right circle with a wrist shot through traffic at 11:03 to give the Rivermen a 3-0 lead at the first intermission.
Jordan Ernst struck a one-timer from the right circle past Stephen Mundinger on the power play at 1:40 of the second to end Mundinger's night with nine saves. He was relieved by Joseph, who stopped 13-of-14 shots.
Wilkie completed the hat-trick with another power play goal at 3:28 with a blast from the right wing.
Knoxville visits Roanoke on Friday. The Rivermen visit Quad City Thursday morning.
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 Knoxville Ice Bears' Jason Brancheau |
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