Kirton, Karpinski Lead Thunderbolts to Shutout Victory Against Ice Bears

Evansville, In.:  Behind three Evansville power play goals, a three-point game and game-winning goal from Scott Kirton, and a 21-save shutout performance by Cody Karpinski, the Thunderbolts blanked the Ice Bears 5-0 at Ford Center on Friday night.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Sunday, March 15thagainst the Huntsville Havoc at 3:00pm CT.

After a scoreless first period, the Thunderbolts offense roared to life as Kirton scored off a loose puck in the crease only 54 seconds into the second period, assisted by Aidan MacIntosh and Evan Miller.  Less than a minute later and only 6 seconds into a power play opportunity at 1:52, MacIntosh redirected a shot from Joey Berkopec into the net to make it a 2-0 game.  Later in the period at 17:59, Evansville scored once again on the power play as Matthew Hobbs scored at the net-front from Aaron Huffnagle and Tyson Gilmour.  Only 1:41 into the third period, Berkopec scored with a clear lane to skate up to the net, assisted by Kirton to make it a 4-0 lead for Evansville.  Finally, at 15:20, the Thunderbolts scored their season-high third power play goal of the night, with Miller scoring off a cross-ice feed from Kirton and Berkopec to round out the score at 5-0, as the Ice Bears were unable to find the back of the net the rest of the way.  With the victory, Evansville now only needs a maximum of 7 points out of the remaining 16 possible to clinch a berth in this year’s President’s Cup Playoffs.

Kirton and Berkopec led the way offensively with a goal and two assists each, Miller and MacIntosh scored a goal and assist each, and Hobbs finished with one goal on the night. In goal, Cody Karpinski finished with 21 saves his 5th win and 2nd shutout of the season, the 5th shutout of Karpinski’s professional career.  The shutout win was Evansville’s 5th of the season, tying a franchise record for most in a single season, previously accomplished in 2022-23.  The Thunderbolts and Ice Bears do not meet again this regular season, with Evansville winning the regular season series 3-2. 

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 Sign Defenseman Mollica to SPC; Place Laaksonen and Chapman on IR

On Friday, Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes announced several transactions, led by the signing of defenseman Anthony Mollica to a standard contract, the activation of forward Aaron Huffnagle from Injured Reserve, and the re-signing of defenseman Carter Poulin to a professional tryout (PTO).

Mollica joins the Thunderbolts following the conclusion of his collegiate career, most recently at Adrian College.  At Adrian College between 2024-2026, Mollica scored 5 goals and 20 points along with a +21 rating in 54 regular season games, including 4 goals and 9 points along with a +13 rating this season.  Prior to playing at Adrian College at the NCAA D3 level, the native of Jenison, Michigan played two seasons of NCAA D1 hockey at St. Lawrence University between 2022-2024, skating in 17 games and recording 2 assists.  Mollica played three seasons of junior hockey in the NAHL between 2019-2022, also playing half a season in the top-tier USHL with the Lincoln Stars in the 2019-20 season, where he scored 1 goal and 4 points and was +2 in 26 regular season games.  In 114 regular season games in the NAHL with Maryland and New Jersey, Mollica scored 16 goals and 43 points with a +41 rating, and with New Jersey won the Robertson Cup as NAHL Champions in 2021-22.

In other transaction news, forward Aaron Huffnagle has been activated from the Injured Reserve, defenseman Carter Poulin has been re-signed to a professional tryout (PTO), and forwards Eelis Laaksonen and Isaac Chapman have been placed on 14-Day Injured Reserve.

Kirton’s Late Goal Leads Thunderbolts over Mayhem

Evansville, In.:  In a low-scoring Sunday afternoon matinee at Ford Center, it was Scott Kirton who provided the clutch third period goal to lead the Thunderbolts over the Mayhem by a 2-1 score.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Friday, March 13th against the Knoxville Ice Bears at 7:00pm CT.

The first period was very low on offense, with Evansville leading the shot count 3-2, yet making the third shot count nonetheless as Evan Miller scored off the post and in at the 17:07mark, assisted by Myles Abbate and Aiden MacIntosh to give Evansville the opening lead through 20 minutes.  In the second period, Evansville was unable to extend their lead, and the Mayhem managed to tie the game 1-1 on a 5-on-3 power play, Parker Allison scoring the goal at 16:16.  In the third period, a point shot by Matt Clark was deflected beautifully by Scott Kirton in the mid-slot and into the net with 7:20 remaining to give Evansville a 2-1 lead.  The Mayhem pulled goaltender Bailey Brkin in the final minutes but were unable to tie the game as Evansville came up victorious for the 25th time this season, surpassing their 24-win total in the regular season last year, and moving back into a tie for 2nd place in the SPHL standings with 9 games remaining in this regular season.  With the victory, Evansville now only needs a maximum of 8 points out of the remaining 18 possible to clinch a berth in this year’s President’s Cup Playoffs.

Miller and Kirton scored one goal each for Evansville, while Cody Karpinski finished with 22 saves on 23 shots for his 4th win of the season.  The Thunderbolts and Mayhem do not meet again this regular season, with Macon winning the regular season series 3-2, but with both teams claiming an even 6 points against each other as only one Macon win was in regulation. 

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 Fall Short in Knoxville, 4-1

Knoxville, Tn.:  Despite taking the game’s first lead, the Thunderbolts fell victim to tough circumstances and tough luck as the Ice Bears picked up the 4-1 victory on Saturday night in Knoxville.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Sunday, March 8th against the Macon Mayhem at 3:00pm CT.

                Evansville played much better at both ends of the ice in the first period compared to Friday, outshooting the Ice Bears 13-11, and scoring the opening goal as Seth Bernard scored at 5:29, assisted by Derek Contessa and Joey Berkopec.  The goal was Bernard’s first as a pro, as well as a power play goal that ended a five-game stretch without a power play goal for the Thunderbolts.  The Ice Bears rallied to tie late in the period, as Tyler Stewart scored at 16:03.  In the second period, the Thunderbolts were frequently assessed penalties, and the Ice Bears scored on a 5-on-3 to take a 2-1 lead, Kyle Soper scoring the goal at 4:00.  Dawson McKinney extended the lead to 3-1 at 6:25 and David Gaeta added another goal with 5 seconds remaining to make it 4-1 Knoxville at the second intermission.  The Thunderbolts outshot the Ice Bears 9-6 in the third period but were unable to rally as they fell by the 4-1 final score.

                Bernard scored Evansville’s goal while Kristian Stead finished with 30 saves on 34 shots.  The Thunderbolts and Ice Bears meet again on Friday, March 13th at Ford Center, with the regular season series tied 2-2.

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 Shutout 3-0 At Knoxville

Knoxville, Tn.:  Despite the best efforts of Kristian Stead in goal in keeping the Thunderbolts in the game, Evansville was unable to find the back of the net in a 3-0 shutout defeat in Knoxville on Friday night.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Sunday, March 8th against the Macon Mayhem at 3:00pm CT.

                Evansville started strong in the first couple minutes, but the Ice Bears quickly took control, outshooting Evansville 20-10 in the opening frame.  The only shot of the 20 to beat Stead in the opening frame was scored on a net-front redirection by Jason Brancheau at the 14:07 mark on a 4-on-4 sequence to give the Ice Bears the lead.  In the second period, Evansville outshot Knoxville 14-11, however the Ice Bears struck twice to give themselves a 3-0 lead off goals from Jared Westcott at 12:18 and Brancheau at 16:15.  The third period was relatively low-event, with only 9 combined shots on goal as the Ice Bears played a shutdown game to preserve the 3-0 lead, leaving the Thunderbolts in search of revenge heading into Saturday night’s rematch.

                In goal, Stead finished with 33 saves on 36 shots.  The Thunderbolts and Ice Bears meet again on Saturday, March 7th at Knoxville Civic Coliseum, with Evansville still leading the regular season series 2-1.

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