KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Knoxville Ice Bears finally got back in the win column on Friday for Margaritaville Night, snapping a 12-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory over the Evansville Thunderbolts at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum.
With some familiar faces returning to the lineup, Knoxville came out strong, setting the tone early with aggressive play. Evansville matched their intensity, leading to a fast-paced game with both teams generating quality scoring chances. But goaltenders Stephen Mundinger and Cole Ceci held firm, keeping the game scoreless through two periods.
The Ice Bears broke through just 1:41 into the third when Anthony Cinato buried a rebound past Ceci to put Knoxville up 1-0. Evansville thought they had tied it with just over three minutes left, but the goal was waved off due to a hand pass. Moments later, Dawson McKinney sealed the win, scoring his 18th goal of the season with 2:20 remaining.
Mundinger stopped all 39 shots he faced to secure the shutout, giving Knoxville a much-needed win and a boost of confidence.
Check out this photo gallery from Inside The Rink’s Michael King for highlights from the game.
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