Ice Bears Claw Their Way In!
The Knoxville Ice Bears have done it again, only this time they’ve made SPHL history in the process. With a 4 to 2 win over the Birmingham Bulls in Game 3, Knoxville is heading to the President’s Cup Final for the first time since 2015. If the Ice Bears bring home the championship, they’ll become the lowest-seeded team to ever win the President’s Cup. Not bad for a team that dropped the opener in both playoff rounds and faced top-tier competition every step of the way.
How It Went Down
Knoxville came out firing in the first period and didn’t wait long to strike. Ryan Kuzmich opened the scoring at 10:43, capitalizing on a clean setup from Mitch Atkins and Carson Vance. Less than eight minutes later, Derek Osik buried a power play goal to make it 2 to 0, thanks to helpers from Anthony Cinato and Kodi Schwarz.
Birmingham responded in the second. Nikita Kozyrev broke through with his first goal of the postseason, and Andrew Bellant tied things up just before the intermission with his third of the playoffs.
But Knoxville didn’t flinch.
Cinato, who was all over the ice, restored the Ice Bears’ lead with an unassisted goal early in the third. Then with less than three minutes to play, Dawson McKinney iced it with a dagger from the left wing, assisted by Cinato again.
Stephen Mundinger stood tall once more between the pipes, frustrating Birmingham with another clutch performance.
Next Stop: Evansville
Now Knoxville sets its sights on the Evansville Thunderbolts in the President’s Cup Final. The path has been anything but easy, but this squad has proved time and again that seeding does not determine heart or hustle.
They’ve already made history. But they’re not done yet.
