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

Thunderbolts Sign Defenseman Ethan Lund to SPC

On Saturday, Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes announced several transactions, led by the signing of defenseman Ethan Lund.

Lund joins the Thunderbolts following the conclusion of his four-year collegiate career at the NCAA Division 1 level with Niagara University, serving as team captain in 2025-26.  Lund scored 2 goals and 6 points in 36 games this season and was a teammate of Thunderbolts alum Aidan Litke, who received a scholarship to Niagara earlier this season. Between 2022-2026, Lund scored a total of 6 goals and 18 points in 109 regular season games.  The native of Calgary, Alberta also had a stellar junior hockey career in his home province, playing four seasons with the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL between 2018-2022, leading Brooks to the AJHL championship as team captain in the 2021-22 season, and was also a member of Brooks' championship team in 2018-19 while also named to the AJHL's All-Rookie South Team that season.  In 179 regular season games with Brooks between 2019-2022, Lund scored 16 goals and 83 points.

In other transaction news, defenseman Dmitry Yushkevich has been placed on 14-Day IR and defenseman Carter Poulin has been released from his PTO.

Mollica’s Overtime Heroics lead Thunderbolts over Rivermen

Evansville, In.:  After a 2-0 Evansville lead was nullified in the third period, Anthony Mollica’s overtime goal saved the day as the Thunderbolts defeated the Rivermen 3-2 at Ford Center on Friday night.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Friday, April 3rd against the Pensacola Ice Flyers at 7:00pm CT.

Following another scoreless first period, Evansville opened the scoring at 3:24 of the second period as Matthew Hobbs scored on the power play from Myles Abbate and Mollica.  At 14:38, a giveaway by Rivermen goaltender Jack Bostedt led to a goal by Abbate, as initial shots by Joey Berkopec and Isaac Chapman were stopped prior to Abbate cashing in.  Peoria found momentum in the third period, as Jordan Ernst scored a power play goal at 9:10 to make it 2-1, and the Rivermen tied the game with 2:42 remaining as Michael McChesney scored on a multi-rebound chance off the rush.  A last-minute delay of game penalty on the Rivermen proved to be decisive, as Mollica scored on the ensuing power play in overtime from Aaron Huffnagle and Abbate to win the game for Evansville by a 3-2 score, Evansville’s second overtime win of the season.  With the win, Evansville remains tied for second place with Roanoke, one point ahead of Pensacola in fourth place, and three points ahead of Huntsville in fifth place in the battle for home-ice advantage in the opening round of the President’s Cup Playoffs.

Abbate scored one goal and added two assists, Mollica scored the game-winning goal plus one assist, and Hobbs scored one goal.  In goal, Cody Karpinski finished with 30 saves on 32 shots for his 8th win of the season.  The Thunderbolts and Rivermen meet again on Saturday, March 28th at Peoria Civic Center, with Evansville now leading the regular season series 8-4 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

Thunderbolts Sign Forward Brock McLeod to a PTO

On Friday, Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes announced several transactions, led by the signing of forward Brock McLeod to a professional tryout, the addition of defenseman Caleb Huffman, and the activation of forward Isaac Chapman from Injured Reserve.

McLeod turns pro with the Evansville Thunderbolts following the conclusion of his six-year collegiate career, playing this season at Toronto Metro University, where he scored 4 goals and 8 points in 27 regular season games before adding 3 goals along with 4 points in 6 playoff games.  The Dartmouth, Nova Scotia native played five seasons at York University between 2020-2025, where he played alongside recent Thunderbolts addition Aiden MacIntosh and Thunderbolts alumni Michael Douglas and Cole Ceci.  In 116 regular season games at York University, McLeod scored 28 goals and 63 points, also serving as team captain in the 2024-25 season.  Prior to college, McLeod played four full seasons of junior hockey split between the MJAHL's Valley Wildcats and Edmundston Blizzard as well as in the major junior level QMJHL with Sherbrooke, Charlottetown and Halifax between 2016-2020.  McLeod recorded 7 goals and 22 points in 84 regular season games in the QMJHL, along with 51 goals and 163 points in 119 regular season MJAHL games, including 25 goals and 81 points in only 48 games in the 2019-20 season with Edmundston, where he played alongside Thunderbolts forward Isaac Chapman.

In other transaction news, forward Sean Bunting has been placed on waivers.  Bunting played 6 games this season with Evansville, recording no points.