Thunderbolts 11-Game Home Win Streak Ends In Loss to Storm

Evansville, In.:  It’s been a long time since the Thunderbolts went through a weekend without earning any standings points, the last time being in late January, but such a weekend has concluded with a 5-2 loss to the Quad City Storm at Ford Center on Saturday night.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Friday, October 30th against the Huntsville Havoc, opening face-off at 7:00pm CT.

The night started off well for Evansville, as Matt Koethe scored off a Storm giveaway which led to a breakaway and the goal only 2:38 into the game.  The Storm answered at 5:49, as Stefan Diezi tied the game back up for the Storm.  On a power play, Nolan Dion scored to give Quad City a 2-1 lead at the 9:13 mark, followed by Diezi’s second goal of the game at 15:57 to put the Storm ahead 3-1 through one period, a period that ended with a pair of fights as Cameron MacPhee engaged Max Hartwell, followed by a one-sided fight for Jordan Simoneau against Hlib Varava.  In the second period, Landyn Greatorex scored to make it a 4-1 Storm lead, but the Thunderbolts got some momentum back and got back within two goals as Max Thiessen scored his first professional goal at 14:31, assisted by Evan Miller and MacPhee.  Evansville outshot Quad City in the third period 13-9, and had multiple high-danger chances, but could not chip away any further at the Storm lead, with Tommy Tsicos adding an empty net goal late to seal the 5-2 win for Quad City.  It was the first time the Thunderbolts lost on Ford Center ice since March 15th of last season, that loss followed by four wins in the final four regular season home games and six more in the postseason, capped off with a win in Evansville’s home opener last Saturday before tonight’s loss.

                Koethe and Thiessen scored Evansville’s goals on the night, while Sebastian Resar finished with 29 saves on 33 shots.  The Thunderbolts and Storm meet once again on Friday, November 6th at Vibrant Arena at the MARK, with the Storm leading the season series 1-0.

Single game and season tickets for the 2026-27 season are on sale now.  Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts are 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

Tremendous Thunderbolts Rally Falls Just Short in Birmingham

Pelham, Ala.:  The Thunderbolts showed no quit despite trailing 5-0 going into the third period, rallying for four unanswered goals albeit falling just short by a 5-4 score in Pelham on Friday night.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Saturday, October 24th against the Quad City Storm, opening face-off at 7:00pm CT.

Evansville outshot the Bulls 11-8 in a close first period but fell behind 1-0 as Ashton Paul scored for the Bulls at 11:08.  In the second period, the Thunderbolts were under siege as the Bulls scored three power play goals, and one goal after a power play, to take a 5-0 lead with goals by Brady Lynn at 5:17, Aiden Wagner at 9:17, Matt Wiesner at 10:14, and Kyren Gronick at 12:04.  Instead of throwing in the towel, the Thunderbolts went to work in the third period, starting 24 seconds into play as Dustin Hutton scored off a set-up from Jordan Simoneau to make it 5-1.  On the power play, Will van der Veen sniped home a shot from Hutton and Seth Bernard to make it a 5-2 game at 2:38.  On another power play at 7:54, Hutton scored once again from Derek Contessa and Caleb Huffman to trim the deficit to two goals, before Bernard’s goal off a face-off from Contessa at 8:53 suddenly put Evansville right back to within a goal.  Despite several great chances, Evansville’s luck ran out the rest of the way, falling just short 5-4 in a spirited effort that will hopefully follow them home for Saturday night’s home game against Quad City.

                Hutton led the way with two goals and an assist, Bernard scored one goal and one assist, Van der Veen added one goal, and Contessa tallied a pair of assists.  In goal, Sebastian Resar finished with 26 saves on 31 shots.  The Thunderbolts and Bulls meet once again on Friday, November 20th at Pelham Civic Complex, with the Bulls leading the season series 1-0.

Single game and season tickets for the 2026-27 season are on sale now.  Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts are 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

Jordan Simoneau Named Thunderbolts Team Captain

Evansville, In.:  The Evansville Thunderbolts and Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes are pleased to announce the appointment of Jordan Simoneau to the position of team captain, the 10^th captain in franchise history.

Since joining the Thunderbolts late in the 2023-24 season, Simoneau has amassed 20 goals and 36 points in 107 regular season games.  His 107 career games played is currently tied for 12^th in team history, the most amongst all active Thunderbolts players, and is poised to rise as high as 4^th later this season.  In the 2026 President’s Cup Playoffs, Simoneau carried a strong finish to the regular season into the postseason, scoring four goals and six points in the 12 playoff games, including the goal that forced overtime in game three of the opening round against Pensacola, and several victory-clinching goals in the final two rounds.  Prior to joining Evansville, the Tisdale, Saskatchewan native played three seasons at Marian University from 2021-2024, and prior to college played three seasons of Junior A hockey in his home province with the Nipawin Hawks of the SJHL between 2017-2020, winning an SJHL championship in the 2017-18 season.  So far in the 2026-27 season, Simoneau has tallied two assists in two games. 

On being named captain, Simoneau commented: “I’m extremely honored to be named captain of the Thunderbolts.  It has been such a special privilege to be a part of this team and this city. I would like to thank Coach Bes, my teammates, the staff, and the Thunderbolts organization for believing in me, as well as to the previous captains and former players for creating a top-tiered winning culture here in Evansville.  I’m excited to expand my role and build off our success that we’ve had here the last couple of years.  I’m stoked about this season and ready to put the work in to create something special here in Evansville.”

On naming Simoneau captain, Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes commented: “Naming Jordan the captain of the Thunderbolts was an easy decision.  Over the past three seasons I’ve watched him mature and grow into a leader and a consummate professional while learning about what it takes to be a Thunderbolt both on and off the ice.  His dedication to the game has helped him maintain a high standard for himself as well as everyone around him.  I know he is ready for this role, to continue to help build our culture, and to maintain our success.”

Single game and season tickets for the 2026-27 season are on sale now.  Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts are 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 Win Home Opener in Front of 6,000+ Fans

Evansville, In.:  Playing under a shiny new President’s Cup Championship banner in front of a crowd of 6,364, the Thunderbolts showcased a massive bounce-back performance, defeating the Knoxville Ice Bears 5-1 at Ford Center on Saturday night.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Saturday, October 24th against the Quad City Storm, opening face-off at 7:00pm CT.

With the energy in the building already at a high level following the raising of the new championship banner before puck drop, the Thunderbolts channeled the boost from the crowd into an early 1-0 lead only 38 seconds into the game, as Logan vande Meerakker redirected a shot from Trevor LeDonne and Max Thiessen to put Evansville ahead.  The Ice Bears managed to tie at 2:02, as a shot by Davide Gaeta deflected off a Thunderbolt and past Sebastian Resar to tie the game 1-1.  Unphased, the Thunderbolts continued their strong first period in which they outshot Knoxville 18-10, punctuated by a goal by Seth Bernard at 10:15 from Jordan Simoneau to put Evansville back ahead.  2:37 into the second period, Bernard struck again on a turnaround shot from the right circle, assisted by Killian Rowlee to extend Evansville’s lead to 3-1.  The Ice Bears presented their largest push in the first half of the second period, but Resar was unyielding with several key saves to maintain Evansville’s two-goal cushion.

Past the halfway point of the third period,  a pair of Thunderbolts rookies scored their first professional goals only 34 seconds apart to further increase their lead to 5-1;  first by Blake Frost unassisted on a rush to the net at 13:09, followed by Dustin Hutton off a setup from Caleb Huffman at 13:43.  In the third period, the Thunderbolts outshot Knoxville 14-9, but the final frame presented no additional goal scoring, with Evansville winning by a 5-1 final score.  The attendance of 6,364 broke the Thunderbolts’ franchise record for single-game attendance excluding Education Day morning games, as a portion of the Ford Center’s upper bowl was used for an evening game for the first time in franchise history.

Bernard scored two goals, while Vande Meerakker, Hutton and Frost finished with one goal each.  In goal, Sebastian Resar finished with 25 saves on 26 shots in his Thunderbolts debut.  The Thunderbolts and Ice Bears meet once again on Saturday, December 26th at Knoxville Civic Coliseum, with the season series tied 1-1.

Single game and season tickets for the 2026-27 season are on sale now.  Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts are 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 Defeated 6-3 in Season Opener against Knoxville

Knoxville, Tn.:  Down 3-0, the Thunderbolts rallied to get back to within a goal, but fell short in a back-and-forth season opener, 6-3 Knoxville the final score at Knoxville Civic Coliseum on Friday night.  The Thunderbolts home opener at Ford Center will be on Saturday, October 17th against the Knoxville Ice Bears, opening face-off at 7:00pm CT.

The Thunderbolts simply could not get a bounce, or a goal, in the first period, as several great opportunities were thwarted, including an Evan Miller shot that hit the post, while the Ice Bears struck twice as Davide Gaeta picked up a pair of first period goals to give Knoxville a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes.  Knoxville pushed hard in the start of the second period, and Mike Mercurio scored on a home-ice bounce to make it 3-0 at 4:25.  Evansville began a strong stretch in the second half of the second period, beginning with a great penalty kill before drawing a power play chance, with Trevor LeDonne scoring at 15:19 from Logan vande Meerakker and Jordan Simoneau to get Evansville on the scoreboard.  Knoxville again pressed in the first half of the third period, but could not expand their lead, before Shane Prifrel scored off the rush for his first professional goal at 13:14, assisted by Seth Bernard and Joey Berkopec to trim the Knoxville lead to 3-2.  Just seconds later however, a fortunate shot from the blue line by Knoxville’s Ranon Joseph somehow snuck off the post and into the net to make it 4-2.  At 15:20, Paxton Leroux scored at the Evansville net front to re-establish the three goal lead at 5-2.  With a late 5-on-3 power play, Evansville again found life and scored as Derek Contessa cashed in from Matt Koethe and Vande Meerakker, before an empty net goal in the final minute by Kolten Olynek capped the scoring at 6-3 Knoxville.

                LeDonne, Prifrel, and Contessa scored one goal each, while Vande Meerakker finished with a pair of assists.  In goal, Cody Karpinski finished with 26 saves on 31 shots.  The Thunderbolts and Ice Bears meet once again on Saturday, October 17th at Ford Center, with Knoxville leading the season series 1-0.

Single game and season tickets for the 2026-27 season are on sale now.  Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts are 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