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The Birmingham Bulls played their first home game against the Knoxville Ice Bears at the Pelham Civic Complex on Friday, Nov. 3. (Reporter photo/Keith McCoy)

PELHAM – Nearly 4,000 people filled the seats of the Pelham Civic Complex’s main ice arena as the Birmingham Bulls played their first home game of the season on Friday, Nov. 3.

Although the Bulls lost the game 2-1 to the Knoxville Ice Bears, the team exited the arena to a standing ovation from its hometown crowd. Birmingham Bulls officials said 3,898 fans were in attendance at the game.

Head Coach Jamey Hicks said the support the team received from fans came as no surprise to him.

“We knew it was going be like that,” he said. “It’s one of the reasons I came down here. The fans are tremendous in this city and I think the guys got a good feel of that tonight.”

The first two periods of the game were scoreless. But the fans kept the team encouraged chanting, “Let’s go Bulls!” while stomping and clapping.

The Bulls scored the first goal of the game during the third period with 15:53 on the clock. With 8:45 left on the clock, the Ice Bears responded with a goal and tying the game.

With just 56.1 seconds left on the clock the Ice Bears got another goal to win the game. The Bulls are now 0-4 on the season, but Hicks is optimistic.

“We’re close,” Hicks said. “We’ve led three or four games already and we’ve just got to put in that hard work. The hockey gods are testing us right now, especially giving up two late, but I like their work ethic. I like the guys we have. We’re a young team but we have talent. It’s just a matter of getting that first win and then running with it.”

The Bulls play their next game against the Huntsville Havocs at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 10 at the Pelham Civic Complex.

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