KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Henri Schreifels had a goal and an assist in his Ice Bears debut, Frankie Ireland had three assists, Stephen Mundinger made 41 saves and the Knoxville Ice Bears pulled away from the Huntsville Havoc with a 5-2 win at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum Friday night.

Billy Roche, Davide Gaeta, Blake Tosto and Malik Johnson all scored for Knoxville, winners of eight of ten to start the season. The Ice Bears moved into first place in the SPHL standings with the win and Pensacola’s loss to Macon.

 

Michael Hodge opened the scoring for Huntsville 1:45 into the game. Denis Radchenko shot the puck from center blue and Connor Fries redirected it off of Mundinger’s pad. The rebound slid out to the right circle where Hodge fired it back on net.

 

Knoxville responded with its first shorthanded goal of the year less than three minutes later. Tosto and Ireland worked the puck in transition into the Havoc zone. Ireland dangled his way around Huntsville’s Troy Williams before sliding the puck back across the crease to Tosto, who tapped the puck in behind Brian Wilson for his first of the season at 4:16.

 

The Ice Bears took their first lead early in the second when Roche notched his first of the season just 58 seconds in. Cam Tobey blocked a shot in the defensive zone and Roche sent the puck up the wing to newcomer Schreifels. Schreifels dropped the puck at the top of the right circle and Roche snuck it underneath Wilson.

 

Landry Schmuck scored from the right circle on the power play to tie the game for Huntsville at 5:26. 

 

Schreifels gave Knoxville the lead into the second intermission with a redirect at 12:53 for his first goal as an Ice Bear. Ireland held the puck in the right corner before crossing it to the left point to Spencer Bellina. Schreifels deflected Bellina’s shot past Wilson to make it 3-2 at the break.

 

The Ice Bears extended the lead with Gaeta’s power play goal at 12:51 of the third. Ireland centered the puck at the blue line to Ranon Joseph. Joseph’s shot bounced off of Wilson before Gaeta found the rebound and slipped it back on net for his team-leading seventh goal of the season. Wilson finished with 28 saves.

 

Johnson scored on the empty net with just over a minute remaining to secure the result for Knoxville.

 

The two teams will head to Huntsville for the back-end of the home-and-home weekend Saturday night.

 

ABOUT The Knoxville Ice Bears: The Knoxville Ice Bears organization began in 2002 and was an inaugural charter member of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) in 2004. As four-time SPHL Champions and five-time regular season champions, the Ice Bears are an experienced and established organization, offering the city and its visitors a balanced product of highlight-reel hockey, unique and exciting intermission activity and endless fan interaction, presenting the most affordable, family-friendly way to enjoy sports and entertainment. Season, Partial Season and Flex Tickets are now on sale.