Ice Bears’ hope to win ‘Cup’ melts
Knoxville goalie stands out in defeat
By Steve Williams
On back to back nights last week, the Knoxville Ice Bears were one goal away from reaching the championship game in the Southern Professional Hockey League.
But overtime losses of 4-3 and 2-1 to Evansville in the ‘Best of three Series’ let the Thunderbolts take the President’s Cup this year in the SPHL.
It certainly didn’t happen without a battle. The Ice Bears and Thunderbolts collided first at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum on Wednesday night in a 4-hour, two OT contest. Not long after that game, the Ice Bears made the 5-hour trip to Indiana for Game 2 on Thursday night.
The Knoxville team looked like it was going to win the first game of the series with its toughness. The Ice Bears even held on to a 3-2 lead much of the second period despite being short-handed.
Head Coach John Gurskis, in his first season in Knoxville, was pleased with his team’s effort. He agreed both teams played their hearts out.
“It’s playoff hockey and it showed,” said Gurskis. “Both teams showed a lot of desperation. It’s a team that we’re familiar with. Truthfully, every time we played those guys throughout the season, it was a hard, close battle just like the one we just experienced.”
Evansville jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 13:33 in the opening period, but it didn’t take Knoxville’s Dawson McKinney long to tie the score with his goal at 10:45. Mitch Atkins and Anthony Cinato assisted on the play.
The Thunderbolts tallied again at 6:43 to make it 2-1, but the Ice Bears’ Derek Raposa evened the score at 2-2 with 4:58 to go in the first period as he was assisted by Cam Tobey and Atkins.
McKinney, assisted by Liam McKanney and Kyle Soper, scored his second goal five minutes into the second period to put Knoxville back on top 3-2.
“Six of the last 10 minutes of the second period we were shorthanded,” said Coach Gurskis. “And credit to the guys. We saw a lot of desperation, a lot of shot-blocking. Obviously, our goalie made some good saves, too. I have no complaints for my guys in the effort. Obviously, it stinks that we lost. But that’s just how hockey is sometimes. It’s not a case where you play bad, it’s just the other team scored the last goal.”
A physical Jimmy Soper displaced the entire Evansville goal early in the third period, which caused a slight delay.
The Ice Bears’ Eric Olson was sent to the penalty box for two minutes at 6:14, leaving Knoxville outnumbered five to four. It proved costly too as Evansville tied the score at 3-all with 5:06 remaining.
There was no scoring in the first overtime, but the Thunderbolts’ Derek Contessa put the puck in the goal from about eight feet away for the win with 12:53 left in the second OT.
Not only did Evansville prevail, but a near record-breaking performance by Knoxville goalie Stephen Mundinger was halted. The 6-foot-8, 250-pound Mundinger’s night ended with 56 saves – just four short of the team record 60.
“He gave us the opportunity to win and that’s what he has been doing,” said Coach Gurskis. “Really all season he’s been doing it. He’s been our backbone, but lately over the last month especially in the playoffs. Every time we put him out there he gives us an opportunity to win and he definitely did that tonight. It’s not his fault by any means. He made some great saves.”
Game 2 on the road also was a heart-breaker for the Ice Bears. Trailing 1-0, Knoxville’s Brendan Dowler’s shot with 2:25 remaining in the third period finally knotted the score and sent the game into overtime. Dowler was assisted by Ryan Leonard and Atkins.
But Evansville’s Aidan Litke scored from right in front of the goal only 90 seconds into the overtime period to take the President’s Cup. Mundinger had made two or three saves right before the title-clinching shot.
