It’s playoff season for the Southern Professional Hockey League. Teams in the SPHL playoffs will compete three times, with the majority winner moving onward in the bracket. The third-seed Huntsville Havocs face off against the sixth-seed Knoxville Ice Bears for the second time. In their last game, Huntsville came out on top in the first match with a 5-1 home game victory. The Havoc traveled to the Ice Bear’s home rink at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum for the second match. If Huntsville wins the second match, they move on to the semi-finals. If they lose, it will be back to the Huntsville Ice Sports Center on Sunday for the third match.
Photo Cred: Havoc.com
Going into tonight’s game, the two teams appear evenly matched. Huntsville has won five of the eight games against the Ice Bears. They have won 23 of the 36 games over the last five seasons. The Ice Bears possess home field; they are historically strong at home. The Havocs’ away game has also been lacking this season, only winning half of their away games.
Photo Cred: Havoc.com
The offensive rosters of both teams are both heavily loaded. Knoxville claims the number one and number three offensive skaters in the league. Justin MacDonald and Dean Balsamo are a dynamic duo. They also have the 11th strongest skater, Bailey Conger. Huntsville has four top 20 offensive players, with three in the top 10.
Photo Cred: Hville Blast
Defensively, the Havocs outmatch the Ice Bears by a lot. Huntsville Havoc Max Milosek is the greatest goalie in the SPHL playoffs by a large margin. They also have three top 10 defensive skaters, including the number two defensive skater Dominic Procopio. The Ice Bear’s goalie Kristian Stead is the worst in the league by a large margin. Tonight’s game will be determined if Knoxville’s offense can overcome Huntsville’s incredible defense.
