Ice Bears knocked out of the playoffs

The zero on the scoreboard as the clock expired signified not only a loss without a goal, but the end of the Knoxville Ice Bears championship hopes.

The zero also signified the number of victories that Knoxville was able to pull out in their second round playoff matchup. The disappointing end to another hopeful championship run came as a surprise to coaches, players, and fans alike. Just a week prior, Knoxville was on home ice hosting the defending SPHL champions, the Columbus Cottonmouths. Game one saw some spectacular goal keeping by Bryan Hince as he turned aside 19 pucks that were sent his way. Matt Pierce scored in the first period and Ben Sounders added two in the third, including an empty net goal, to lead the Ice Bears to a 3-0 victory over their rivals. The next game took place in Columbus and Knoxville was once again up to the challenge. Hince stopped 20 more shots on net and Emery Olauson netted a first and second period goal. Jeremy Klaver ended Columbus’s attempt at a championship repeat, scoring the Ice Bears third goal with three minutes left to play. Bryan Hince looked to be a goalie on fire, and the Ice Bears seemed to have no trouble scoring at home or away. All that would change in a weeks’ time.

The NCAA basketball regular season is finished. It’s officially tournament time! Conference tournaments are beginning and that means teams will be trying to punch their tickets to the NCAA Tournament. 68 teams will make the field with a chance to reach the Final 4 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. This year the field will be wide open. There hasn’t been a truly dominant team this year. In years past, there always seemed to be a favorite heading into the tournament.Not this year. I can count a handful of teams that have a shot to cut down the nets.With the field so wide open, will there be a Cinderella that has a shot at the Final 4? With no clear cut favorite to win the NCAA Championship, look for this year to be one of the craziest tournaments in history.

The Southeastern Conference had a down year from top to bottom.  Kentucky won it all last year and they dominated from start to finish.  This year the Wildcats are considered a bubble team and will be happy just making the tournament.   At one point this season, Tennessee was 11-10, before finding their stride and winning 8 of their last 9 games.  The Vols are 19-11 and with their strength of schedule and their play down the stretch, look like they will make the field.  Missouri, newcomers to the SEC with a storied basketball history, played inconsistently this year, but with a decent RPI, the Tigers should slide into the tournament, too.  Alabama, Arkansas, and Ole Miss are the other teams with a chance to make it, but might have to win a game or two in the SEC Tournament.  Florida is the only team that is a definite. The Gators were the class of the SEC this year and are looking like a 2 or a 3 seed. The SEC will get no more than 6 teams in the field and that number could shrink to 5.

Victory in Augusta sends Knoxville to 11th straight postseason

Welcome to Knoxville, where it is snowing right now. In about thirty minutes you should be able to go swimming. While the weather may not be able decide what it wants to do, the Ice Bears are starting to heat up.

We are quickly approaching the end of the regular season in the Southern Professional Hockey League, and Knoxville just locked up their spot in the annual quest for the cup.

The Ice Bears defeated the Augusta Riverhawks on March 5 and secured their 11th straight postseason berth.  In the SPHL’s inaugural season, the Ice Bears secured a first round bye after taking the number one seed. They lost their first playoff series to eventual cup winner, the Columbus Cottonmouths.

The Birthplace of Big Orange Country

Photos Courtesy of UTSports.com

There are few places in East Tennessee that claim as much lore as Stokely Athletic Center.

Stokely, or SAC as it came to be called, housed the Army and Air Force ROTC programs for the University of Tennessee and held the home court for both the men and women’s basketball teams during its 53-year run. It also hosted several concerts and performances by various A-list musicians and comedians. As a fixture of the UT campus, Stokely gave birth to many dreams and created even more memories.

Built in 1958, the facility was first known as Tennessee’s Armory-Fieldhouse before a $500,000 donation made by industrialist William B. Stokely in 1966 resulted in a name change to honor the Stokely family. Subsequent renovations improved the building and expanded the arena’s seating capacity to 12,700. It was one of the first gifts of its kind to the university and encouraged others to offer similarly generous donations afterwards.

The Stokely name was already a familiar one in the area. William Stokely Sr. was the captain of the first intercollegiate Tennessee football team in 1895. No one seemed to mind naming the new facility in the family’s honor.

Most notably, the building was the home of UT’s basketball programs and came to be known as one of the most unique venues in the country. Fans sat extremely close to the court, which provided the Vols an immeasurable home advantage.

“For basketball games, you were truly right on top of the court,” explains Shane Rhyne, Digital Strategies Manager for Ackermann PR and longtime fan of Stokely. “The first time my grandparents took me to see the Harlem Globetrotters at Stokely, I was amazed at how close to the action I was.”