Thunderbolts Set First Round Playoff Schedule vs Ice Flyers

For the first time in franchise history, the Thunderbolts will have home ice advantage as they look to defend their 2025 Presidents Cup Title starting on Wednesday, April 8th at the Ford Center against the #5 Pensacola Ice Flyers. In a best of three series for the first round, the Thunderbolts will head to the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, FL on Friday, April 10 for a 7:05 pm puck drop for Game 2. If needed, the Thunderbolts will be back at home at the Ford Center on Sunday, April 12 at 3:00 pm to determine the series winner. Tickets for the first round go on sale on Monday, April 6th at 12:00 pm on Ticketmaster.com, the Ford Center Box Office, or call us at 812-422-BOLT (2658).

Thunderbolts Finish Regular Season with Sweep of Ice Flyers

Evansville, In.:  In what turned out to be a first round playoff preview, the Thunderbolts ended the regular season schedule with a weekend and regular season series sweep over the Ice Flyers, 4-1 the final score on Saturday night at Ford Center.  The Thunderbolts’ first playoff home game at Ford Center will be on Wednesday, April 8th against the Pensacola Ice Flyers at 7:00pm CT.

The Thunderbolts got off to a bit of a slower start compared to Friday, with the Ice Flyers taking the opening lead as Zach Bross scored quickly off a takeaway from Will van der Veen in the Evansville zone at the 8:44 mark.  Undaunted, Evansville bounced back to tie at 14:11 as Jordan Simoneau moved in from the left circle off a feed from Aaron Huffnagle, dangling the puck past Troy Kobryn and into the net, with a secondary assist going to Anthony Mollica.  Only 3:08 into the second period, Evansville took the lead as Mollica’s shot through traffic found the back of the net, assisted by Isaac Chapman and Myles Abbate.  Shortly afterward at 6:16, Abbate scored off a turnaround shot that bounced off Andrew Poulias and into the net to make it a 3-1 game, assisted by Mollica and Chapman.   Early in the third period, Evansville put the game out of reach at 4-1 as Simoneau scored off an end-board dump-in from Ethan Lund and Joey Berkopec at 1:13, the assist being Lund’s first professional point.  Evansville held firm the rest of the way and the Thunderbolts’ penalty kill went 4-for-4 as the Thunderbolts secured their 31st win of the regular season.  With Huntsville and Roanoke victorious tonight, the Thunderbolts will again face the Ice Flyers in the best-of-three first round of the President’s Cup Playoffs, Evansville with home ice advantage as the 4th seed and Pensacola the 5th seed.  Game one will be at Ford Center on Wednesday, April 8th at 7:00pm CT, game two in Pensacola will be on Friday, April 10th at 7:05pm CT, and game three (if necessary) will be at Ford Center on Sunday, April 12th at 3:00pm CT.

Simoneau scored two goals, Mollica finished with a goal and two assists, and Abbate picked up a goal and one assist.  Chapman tallied a pair of assists, while Kristian Stead finished with 19 saves on 20 shots on goal for his 23rd win of the season, setting a new Thunderbolts’ single season franchise record by one goaltender.  The Thunderbolts and Ice Flyers conclude the regular season series with Evansville winning 4-0.  

Season tickets for the 2026-27 season are on sale now. Individual game tickets and group packages are on sale for the remainder of this 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 Secure Top-4 Spot with 3-1 Win Over Pensacola

Evansville, In.:  For the first time in franchise history, the Thunderbolts will host two out of three games in the first round of playoffs, as they secured a Top-4 playoff spot with a 3-1 win over Pensacola on Friday night at Ford Center.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Saturday, April 4th against the Pensacola Ice Flyers at 7:00pm CT.

Evansville wasted no time out of the gate, with Jordan Simoneau scoring off a setup from behind the net to give the Thunderbolts a 1-0 lead only 1:33 into the game, assisted by Tyson Gilmour and Cameron MacPhee.  In the second period, the Thunderbolts again scored the lone goal, with Derek Contessa deflecting a Caleb Huffman shot past Ice Flyers goaltender Christian Propp at the 10:37 mark, also assisted by Will van der Veen to extend Evansville’s lead to 2-0.  10:39 into the third period, Pensacola broke the shutout as Ethan Price scored on a rush to the net to cut Evansville’s lead to 2-1.  Before Propp could be pulled, Evansville got the insurance goal back at 18:11 as Aaron Huffnagle powered past three Ice Flyers and poked a shot over Propp to make it 3-1, the assist by Anthony Mollica.  Evansville’s defense held firm the rest of the way to secure the Thunderbolts’ 30th win of the season, Evansville’s second-ever 30+ win season, preceded by 2022-23 when Evansville won 32 times.  Evansville remains tied with Roanoke for third place, the Rail Yard Dawgs holding the tiebreaker advantage, and one point behind Huntsville in second place, therefore the Thunderbolts still hold the possibility of moving up to as high as second pending Saturday’s games in Peoria and Quad City, and if Evansville wins once more against Pensacola.

Simoneau, Contessa, and Huffnagle each scored one goal, while Kristian Stead finished with 17 saves on 18 shots on goal for his 22nd goal of the season.  The Thunderbolts and Ice Flyers meet once final time this regular season on Saturday, April 4th at Ford Center, with Evansville winning the regular season series 3-0. 

Season tickets for the 2026-27 season are on sale now. Individual game tickets and group packages are on sale for the remainder of this 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 Offense Stifled Again in 2-1 Loss Against Rivermen

Peoria, Ill.:  In back to back games in Peoria, Evansville’s defense and goaltending looked solid, but could not get enough offensive support, as Evansville was again held to one goal in a 2-1 loss on Sunday afternoon.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Friday, April 3rd against the Pensacola Ice Flyers at 7:00pm CT.

The Rivermen grabbed the opening lead at 15:11 of the first period, with Michael McChesney deflecting a shot past Kristian Stead.  Late in the second period, penalties cost the Thunderbolts as the Rivermen scored on the power play at 19:04, with Braydon Barker scoring on a rebound to extend Peoria’s lead to 2-0.  Evansville pushed hardest in the third period and once again managed to spoil the shutout, as Scott Kirton’s net front redirection made it a 2-1 game at 19:07, assisted by Aaron Huffnagle and Myles Abbate, but that would be all Evansville’s offense could muster in a close 2-1 defeat.  Despite the loss, Evansville can still clinch home-ice advantage with at least one win next weekend against Pensacola, and could still claim second place if Huntsville loses at least once in Quad City next weekend, Evansville’s chances much higher the more points they gain against Pensacola and the fewer points Roanoke gains in Peoria next weekend, as the Thunderbolts enter the final weekend tied for 3rd place with both the Rail Yard Dawgs and Ice Flyers.

Kirton scored Evansville’s lone goal, while Kristian Stead finished with 25 saves on 27 shots on goal.  The Thunderbolts and Rivermen do not meet again this regular season, with Evansville winning the regular season series 8-6. 

Season tickets for the 2026-27 season are on sale now. Individual game tickets and group packages are on sale for the remainder of this 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 Spoil Shutout, but Fall 3-1 to Rivermen

Peoria, Ill.:  Trailing 2-0 most of the night, Jordan Simoneau’s goal gave Evansville late life in the third period, however the Rivermen escaped with the 3-1 victory on Saturday night at Peoria Civic Center.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Friday, April 3rd against the Pensacola Ice Flyers at 7:00pm CT.

                The Rivermen struck twice in the opening minutes, with Griffen Fox scoring at 1:42 and Garrett Devine following up at 3:36 to give the Rivermen a 2-0 lead.  Evansville was unable to convert on two power play chances in the second period, but the Thunderbolts penalty kill managed to keep Evansville in the game against 6 consecutive power plays awarded to the Rivermen.  With 4:45 remaining in the third period, Simoneau was able to steal the puck in the Rivermen crease and put the puck into the net in one fell swoop, the unassisted goal suddenly making it a one goal game.  However, the Thunderbolts would be unable to come all the way back, as the Rivermen scored on the empty net on an opening caused with a Thunderbolts skater away from the puck being checked to the ice, creating a lane for Fox to score to put the game away at 3-1.  Despite the loss, Evansville still controls their destiny with three regular season games remaining, with Roanoke also losing tonight in regulation, and as a result Evansville can still claim second place if they win their three remaining regular season games.

                Simoneau scored Evansville’s lone goal, while Kristian Stead finished with 15 saves on 17 shots on goal.  The Thunderbolts and Rivermen meet again on Sunday, March 29th at Peoria Civic Center, with Evansville leading the regular season series 8-5 and the series victory clinched. 

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