KNOXVILLE, TENN. -- The Huntsville Havoc continued their three-in-three weekend Saturday night against a Knoxville team trying to keep pace in the playoff race. 

The Havoc D-line and keeper Mike DeLaVergne held off a 60-minute assault by the Ice Bears and kept their hosts scoreless, recording a 3-0 shutout. 

“The team did a great job following up last night’s game with another solid performance,” said Havoc Head Coach Glenn Detulleo. “We defended really well and got some timely goals, but more importantly got some timely saves from Deli.” 

It was mostly a defensive battle on both sides for the first half of the contest. Knoxville (27-19-5) finally blinked first when Havoc captain Christian Powers redirected a shot during a powerplay to get Huntsville (32-15-3) on the board with just over two minutes remaining in the second period. 

Both sides continued with inspired play and many close calls, but Huntsville kept possession and pressure, scoring again when Derek Perl made a nifty assist from behind the net to Stephen Hrehoriak at 7:42 in to the third period. An empty netter on an end-to-end shot with 1:11 to play from Peter Sikalis dashed any hopes of an Ice Bear comeback. 

Havoc keeper DeLaVergne stopped all 28 shots he faced, earning his first shutout of the season. 

With the win, Huntsville is guaranteed home-ice advantage in the SPHL Challenge Round of the playoffs. The Havoc are 9-1-1 in their last 11 contests. 

The last time Huntsville shutout an opponent was November 30, 2018, when the Havoc blanked the Ice Bears 5-0 at the Von Braun Center. 

Since dropping their first meeting of the season back in November, Huntsville has beaten the Ice Bears in four subsequent rematches. 

Next Game 

The Havoc and Ice Bears play their final regular season meeting on Sunday, March 24 with a 2:30 p.m. CT puck drop. 

Huntsville will finish the season with five straight at Propst Arena. The home stretch begins Tuesday, March 26, when we host the Pensacola Ice Flyers for Taco Tuesday. Fans can enjoy $5 Margaritas and two tacos for $2. The puck drops at 7 p.m. 

Havoc App 

Earn points by participating in fan polls and supporting Havoc sponsors, then redeem them for special merchandise and experiences with the new Havoc Rewards App powered by Simple Helix. The app is available on iOS and Android phones, so download it now at HavocRewards.com.