KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Knoxville Ice Bears hosted the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs on Saturday for their Miracle on Ice Night, and the intensity was evident from the start. With a history of heated matchups, both teams came ready to battle.
Roanoke struck first, as Nick Ford found the back of the net at 8:38 of the opening period. Knoxville responded quickly, with Kevin Lassman netting the equalizer just over a minute later. The score remained locked at 1-1 heading into the first intermission.
The Dawgs wasted no time reclaiming the lead, scoring just 28 seconds into the second period. However, the Ice Bears answered again, with Kyle Soper notching his first goal of the season to bring the game back to a deadlock. Both teams traded chances, but neither could break through before the second intermission.
As the third period began, the tension ramped up, with both teams fighting for the decisive goal. Roanoke finally broke through at 6:48, taking a 3-2 lead. Knoxville pushed hard, generating several close scoring chances, but Roanoke goaltender Tyler Roy stood tall, denying the Ice Bears any late heroics. Despite a strong effort, Knoxville came up short, falling 3-2 on home ice.
Check out this photo gallery from Inside The Rink’s Michael King for highlights from the game.
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