Thunderbolts Forced to Settle for Weekend Split at Birmingham

Pelham, Ala.:  Following the 3-1 victory on Friday, the Thunderbolts scored the game’s first goal but came up short as the Bulls came back to defeat Evansville 3-2 on Saturday night in Pelham.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Wednesday, February 4th against the Peoria Rivermen at 7:00pm CT.

Following a big penalty kill late in the first period, Evansville grabbed a 1-0 lead with 58 seconds remaining as Will van der Veen scored from Keanan Stewart and Evan Miller.  An early second period penalty proved costly for the Thunderbolts, as CJ Walker scored at 1:32 to tie the game, and Walker scored once again at 4:03 to put the Bulls ahead 2-1.  In the third period, Evansville gained a late power play advantage and pulled Kristian Stead for a 6-on-4 advantage, but MacGregor Sinclair managed to score into the empty net to put the game out of reach at 3-1 with 47 seconds remaining.  Adding insult to injury, Evansville scored in the very final second of the game on the same power play, scored by Evan Miller and assisted by Joey Berkopec and Derek Contessa to bring the final score to 3-2.

Miller led the way with a goal and assist, and Van der Veen added one goal.  In goal, Kristian Stead stopped 32 of 34 shots on goal, keeping Evansville in the game all the way to the finish.  The Thunderbolts and Bulls meet for the final time this regular season on Thursday, February 26th at Pelham Civic Complex, with the Bulls leading the regular season series 4-3.

Season tickets, Individual game tickets and group packages are on sale for the 2025-26 season.  Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL.  The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com

Clutch Goals, Sound Defense Lead Thunderbolts Over Bulls

Pelham, Ala.:  With a goal in each period and excellent interior defense, the Thunderbolts put together a well-rounded, detail-oriented effort in their 3-1 victory over the Birmingham Bulls in Pelham on Friday night.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Wednesday, February 4th against the Peoria Rivermen at 7:00pm CT.

Evansville grabbed the opening lead 17:45 into the first period, as Keanan Stewart scored with a mid-range shot off a low-to-high setup that went in off the crossbar, assisted by Evan Miller and Max Thiessen.  3:20 into the second period, Isaac Chapman scored to double Evansville’s lead to 2-0 with a shot from the top of the near circle that beat Hayden Stewart clean through traffic, the goal unassisted.  The Thunderbolts further extended the lead to 3-0 midway through the 3rd period as Miller scored on a breakaway from Cameron MacPhee at 9:00. Birmingham did manage to break Evansville’s shutout bid with 3:29 remaining, as Kyren Gronick scored a power play goal for the Bulls to make it a 3-1 game, the only blemish in Evansville’s victory.

Miller led the way with a goal and assist, and Chapman along with Stewart added one goal each.  In goal, Kristian Stead stopped 25 of 26 shots on goal for his 15th win of the season.  The Thunderbolts and Bulls meet again on Saturday, January 31st at Pelham Civic Complex, with the regular season series tied 3-3.

Season tickets, Individual game tickets and group packages are on sale for the 2025-26 season.  Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL.  The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com

Thunderbolts Announce New Star Wars Night Addition

Evansville, In.: Due to the winter storm that has recently hit Evansville, the Thunderbolts are happy to announce a new Star Wars Night that will be added to the Friday, February 27 game against the Quad City Storm. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm CST. Doors open to the general public at 6:15 pm CST. 

This Star Wars Night will be hosted alongside our $3 Tall Boys, Union Night, and College Night that is being held at the Ford Center on Friday, February 27. Star Wars characters are set to join us once again and will be walking around the concourse/lobby for pictures! There will be NO specialty jersey for this night. Enjoy $3 Tall Boys (specifically Bud Light, Budweiser, Busch Light, and Michelob Ultra) all night long as well. Bring a group of 10 or more and receive a discounted rate when you call our ticket office at 812-422-BOLT (2658).

Season tickets, Individual game tickets and group packages are on sale for the 2025-26 season.  Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL.  The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com

Thunderbolts Come Up Just Short in Peoria in 3-1 Loss

Peoria, Ill.:  A tough weekend for the Thunderbolts came to a close on Sunday afternoon in Peoria, as the Thunderbolts finished strong but came up short in a 3-1 defeat to the Rivermen.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Wednesday, February 4th against the Peoria Rivermen at 7:00pm CT.

Evansville outshot the Rivermen 12-10 in the first period but quickly fell behind 3-0 in the period’s second half, with Rivermen goals by Brandon Stojcevski at 11:44, Michael McChesney on a power play at 15:35, and Connor Szmul at 18:38.  The Thunderbolts successfully stopped the bleeding after the first period, holding the Rivermen scoreless in the second period.  Evansville’s best hockey came in the third period much like it did against Quad City on Saturday, outshooting Peoria 9-3 in the final frame and refusing to roll over, while spoiling Peoria’s shutout bid with 6:03 remaining with a power play goal by Keanan Stewart, assisted by Matt Clark and Matt Hobbs.

Stewart scored Evansville’s goal, while Cody Karpinski stopped 20 of 23 shots on goal.  The Thunderbolts and Rivermen meet again on Wednesday, February 4th at Ford Center, with Peoria leading the regular season series 4-3.

Season tickets, Individual game tickets and group packages are on sale for the 2025-26 season.  Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL.  The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com

Third Period Rally Falls Short in Thunderbolts' 4-2 Loss to Storm

Evansville, In.:  After a difficult second period in which Evansville trailed 4-0, the Thunderbolts got halfway back in the third period but fell short, 4-2 the final score against Quad City on Saturday afternoon at Ford Center.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Wednesday, February 4th against the Peoria Rivermen at 7:00pm CT.

After a scoreless first period, the Storm burst ahead in the second period with four unanswered goals, starting with back to back goals on 2-on-1 rushes only 41 seconds apart, scored by Brodie Girod at 1:36 and Devin Sanders at 2:17.  On a power play chance, Girod scored once again at 9:42, followed by a goal from Jesper Tarkiainen at 17:48 to make it 4-0 before the end of the middle frame.  Off a giveaway from Zane Steeves, Evansville broke shutout at 6:04 as Derek Contessa scored from Scott Kirton to make it 4-1.  In the fading seconds, Evansville made it a 4-2 final with Tyson Gilmour’s goal at 19:50, assisted by Isaac Chapman and Will van der Veen.

Contessa and Kirton scored one goal each for Evansville, while Kristian Stead stopped 31 of 35 shots on goal.  The Thunderbolts and Storm meet again on Saturday, February 27th at Ford Center, with Quad City leading the regular season series 6-5.

Season tickets, Individual game tickets and group packages are on sale for the 2025-26 season.  Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL.  The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com