Ice Bears Drop Heartbreaker in Game One of Finals

April 23, 2025 - SPHL (SPHL)
Knoxville Ice Bears News Release

Dawson McKinney of the Knoxville Ice Bears
(Knoxville Ice Bears)

Evansville leads the best-of-three series 1-0. Game two is Thursday night in Evansville.

Isaac Chapman's shot from the right circle was blocked by Jimmy Soper and Contessa lifted the rebound over Stephen Mundinger's glove to end the game.

Evansville struck first when Tyson Gilmour scored on a rebound at 6:27 of the opening period. Scott Kirton's shot was deflected and kicked away by Mundinger, but Gilmour's follow-up attempt when over Mundinger's left pad and into the net.

Dawson McKinney tied the game on the power play at 9:15 when his shot from the left circle was blocked back to him and he fired his second chance over the glove side of Cole Ceci for his fourth goal of the playoffs.

The Thunderbolts regained the lead with Myles Abbate's deflection at 13:17. Benjamin Lindberg kept in a breakout attempt at the blue line and shot the puck towards the net where Abbate tipped it over Mundinger.

Knoxville drew even less than two minutes later when Derek Raposo scored his first career goal from the right point. Cam Tobey's shot deflected out of the slot back to Raposo and his shot made its way through traffic and between Ceci's pads to make it 2-2 at the first intermission.

McKinney scored his second goal of the night at 4:37 of the second. Kyle Soper lifted the puck out of the zone down the right wing where it slipped past Grayson Valente at the blue line. Liam McCanney took the puck through the right circle and down by the end line where his shot was impeded, but knuckled under Ceci's stick to the far end of the crease where McKinney tapped it in to give Knoxville its first lead.

Mundinger helped Knoxville withstand a heavy attack in the second period. Evansville had three consecutive power play chances late in the period that saw the Thunderbolts outshoot the Ice Bears 19-4 in the middle frame. Mundinger stopped Gilmour from the slot, blockered away Lindberg's attempt from the point and stopped a close range shot on the power play from Isaac Chapman.

Evansville tied the game with just over five minutes remaining. With the Thunderbolts on the power play, Kirton took the puck to the right circle and snapped a shot over Mundinger's left shoulder to make it 3-3.

Dawson McKinney of the Knoxville Ice Bears

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