Peoria Falls 4-2 to Knoxville in Game Three - Faces Elimination on Friday
April 23, 2026 - 09:55 pm
KNOXVILLE, TN – It was a tough outing for the Peoria Rivermen, who fell 4-2 to the Knoxville Ice Bears in Game Three of the President’s Cup Semifinals on Thursday night at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Matt Wiesner and Alec Baer both scored for the Rivermen while goaltender Jack Bostedt made 24 saves on 28 shots in the loss.
The Ice Bears lead the best-of-five series 2-1, putting the Peoria Rivermen on the brink of elimination Friday, April 24. Peoria must win to force a decisive fifth game at home Sunday.
FIRST PERIOD
Building on momentum from Game Two, Knoxville scored just 13 seconds into Game Three off a centering feed. Two shifts later, Peoria threatened, but JM Piotrowski was denied by Stephen Mundinger’s scrambling save. Knoxville’s aggressive forecheck produced another goal midway through the first, extending their lead to 2-0.
SECOND PERIOD
In the second period, Knoxville added two goals from Tim Kent as the Ice Bears jumped out to a 4-0 lead over the Rivermen. Late in the period, a centering feed from Garret Devine found Matt Wiesner at the side of the net, and he was able to bury a one-timed shot after being denied by Mundinger earlier in the period. On the board, Peoria struck again just over 20 seconds later when Alec Baer corralled the puck at the top of the right-wing circle and then fired a wrist shot as he back-skated to the high slot. The shot sailed past Mundinger, and, suddenly, the Rivermen had gone from down 4-0 to now trailing 4-2 entering the third period.
THIRD PERIOD
Though the Rivermen had several chances in the third period, the Ice Bears' defense held them in check for the most part. Any scoring opportunities the Rivermen did generate could not find a way past Mundinger, who finished the night with 32 saves on 34 Rivermen shots.
