Not Done Yet: Ice Bears Force Game Three with 5-1 Win
April 18, 2025 - SPHL (SPHL)
Knoxville Ice Bears News Release
Knoxville Ice Bears' Cameron Tobey celebrates with team
(Knoxville Ice Bears)
Kyle Soper had a goal and two assists, Stephen Mundinger made 53 saves and the Knoxville Ice Bears defeated the Birmingham Bulls 5-1 at the Pelham Civic Complex Friday night to tie the semifinal series at one game apiece. Game three is Saturday afternoon in Pelham.
Soper scored early for the Ice Bears to put Knoxville ahead at 2:28 of the opening period. Soper's shot from the left point bounced off Austin Lotz's pad. Ryan Kuzmich's initial rebound attempts were stopped before Kuzmich slipped the puck back to the left circle where Soper put the puck in on the open net.
Jason Brancheau made it 2-0 for Knoxville at 7:59. Ryan Romeo's cross-ice pass went to an open space on the ice in the Birmingham zone and Brancheau teed off on the loose puck from atop the right circle to the far-side post over Lotz's blocker.
Mundinger preserved Knoxville's lead into the first intermission with key saves early. He denied Nikita Kozyrev on a breakaway, held onto a wrist shot by Andrew Bellant from the left circle and tipped a deflected puck over the crossbar with his glove while Knoxville was on the penalty kill.
The Ice Bears extended their lead to four goals when Eric Olson and Kuzmich scored 22 seconds apart halfway through the second period. Olson stole the puck in the neutral zone and generated a two-on-one. He skated into the right circle and ripped a shot that Lotz could only get a piece of before it bounced into the net. Kuzmich scored on a wraparound that hit Lotz and went in. Lotz finished with 29 saves.
Troy MacTavish scored at 12:12 to get Birmingham on the board.
Mundinger stopped Bellant on a breakaway late in the second to keep it at a three-goal lead for Knoxville at the second intermission.
Derek Osik scored an empty net goal late in the third to cap off the scoring detail.
Images from this story
 Knoxville Ice Bears' Cameron Tobey celebrates with team |
SPHL Stories from April 18, 2025
- Thunderbolts Sweep Rivermen, Advance to President's Cup Final - Evansville Thunderbolts
- Peoria's Season Ends in Frustrating 3-1 Loss to Evansville - Peoria Rivermen
- Not Done Yet: Ice Bears Force Game Three with 5-1 Win - Knoxville Ice Bears
- Peoria's Jean-Guy Trudel Named SPHL Coach of the Year - SPHL
- Jean-Guy Trudel Named SPHL Coach of the Year - Peoria Rivermen
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