Huntsville Havoc Edges Knoxville in Shootout
- Jan 18
- 3 min read
20th Annual Melissa George Memorial Night raises $122,000 for Huntsville NICU
(January 17, 2026 – Huntsville, Ala.)
What a dandy of a game last night, with the Huntsville Havoc proving once again that even a shootout is not for the faint of heart. The Havoc held on to beat the Knoxville Ice Bears 4‑3 in a thrilling contest at the Von Braun Center.
Coming off a tough 3- 0 loss to Knoxville the night before, Havoc head coach Stuart Stefan told the Havoc media team that his focus for Saturday’s game was simple: play a full 60 minutes, something the team had been struggling to do consistently for the past few games.
Huntsville drew first blood at 9:12 of the opening period when Forward Phil Elgstam (88) scored with an assist from Forwards Cole Golka (42) and Jaxon Camp (55). The Havoc controlled much of the first period, outshooting Knoxville 18‑5.
The Havoc extended their lead in the second period when Huntsville-native Josh Kestner (32) scored on a play set up by Matt Allen (20) and Frank Trazzera (44). Later, Trazzera added his second goal of the night, assisted by Lincoln Erne (4) and Kevin Weaver‑Vitale (8), pushing Huntsville ahead 3‑0.
Knoxville answered immediately in the third period. Ryan Kuzmich (23) scored a power-play goal at 1:40, followed by Dawson McKinney (91) to pull the Ice Bears within one. The comeback was completed when Hlib Varava (27) tied the game 3‑3 late in the period, sending the contest to overtime.
Knoxville goalie Stephen Mundinger (1) turned aside 43 shots.
Overtime remained scoreless, and the game was decided in the shootout. Huntsville’s Austin Alger (18) delivered the game-winning goal, while goalie Brian Wilson (50) finished with 35 saves on the night.
Huntsville will look to carry this momentum into a road matchup against the Birmingham Bulls on Monday, Jan 14 , while Knoxville returns home to face Pensacola.
The night also celebrated 20 years of the Melissa George Night with a special after-game jersey auction and other items throughout the night to raise money for Huntsville Hospital NICU. In 2005, Amy and Chris George established the Melissa George Neonatal Memorial Fund in memory of their twin daughter, Melissa, who was born 14 weeks prematurely and passed away. According to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, the fund has contributed to nearly all of the equipment in the NICU, supporting over 20,000 babies in the past two decades.
During the post-game jersey auction, a custom-made goalie mask sold for $29,000, and Freak Daddy’s jersey brought in $5,000, making the night an incredible success for the NICU. The total amount raised was $122,000.
Fights and Penalties
1st Period
17:26 – Knoxville Paxton Leroux, Cross-Checking, 2 min PP
2nd Period
12:15 – Huntsville Lincoln Erne, Cross-Checking, 2 min PP
17:37 – Huntsville Cole Golka, Hooking, 2 min PP
19:07 – Knoxville Jimmy Soper, Fighting, 5 min
19:07 – Huntsville Lincoln Erne, Served by Ethan Lindsay, Fighting/Instigator, 2 min PP
19:07 – Huntsville Lincoln Erne, Fighting, 5 min
19:07 – Huntsville Cole Reginato, Fighting (Third Man In/Game Misconduct), 10 min PP
19:07 – Huntsville Cole Reginato, Served by Phil Elgstam, Roughing, 2 min
3rd Period
01:35 – Huntsville Ethan Lindsay, Slashing, 2 min PP
06:24 – Knoxville Jason Brancheau, Roughing, 2 min
06:24 – Knoxville Robin Liljekvist, Fighting, 5 min
06:24 – Knoxville Robin Liljekvist, Continuing Altercation/Misconduct, 10 min
06:24 – Knoxville Blake Tosto, Boarding, 2 min PP
06:24 – Huntsville Connor Fries, Roughing, 2 min
06:24 – Huntsville Frank Trazzera, Fighting, 5 min
06:24 – Huntsville Frank Trazzera, Continuing Altercation/Misconduct, 10 min
12:48 – Huntsville Phil Elgstam, Elbowing, 2 min PP
Overtime
00:28 – Knoxville Carson Vance, Hooking, 2 min
00:28 – Huntsville Josh Kestner, Diving/Embellishment, 2 min
Comments