Thunderbolts Start 5-Game Road Stand

With a full 4-0 sweep of their homestand against Pensacola two weekends ago and the Havoc and Storm this past weekend, the high-flying Thunderbolts look to continue their success on the road, starting with a pair of games this upcoming weekend in Birmingham against the Bulls.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Friday, December 2^nd against the Quad City Storm at 7:00pm CT.  For tickets, call (812)422-BOLT (2658), go to EvansvilleThunderbolts.com, or visit the Ford Center Ticket Office.

Week In Review:

            The Thunderbolts defeated the Havoc 4-1 on Friday night, behind a goal and two assists from Scott Kirton, a goal and assist each from Matthew Barron and Tanner Butler, and another goal from Fredrik Wink.  The defense kept Zane Steeves’ workload to a near-minimum, and Steeves stopped 19 of only 20 shots faced.  On Sunday afternoon the Thunderbolts blasted the Quad City Storm 5-0 with goals from Kirton, Mike Ferraro, Derek Sutliffe, Bryan Etter, and Matt Ustaski.  Steeves’ 33 saves earned him his first shutout of the season and the 2^nd in his SPHL career.  Steeves earned the SPHL’s Player of the Week honors with his combined 52 saves on 53 shots on the weekend.  With the two victories on the weekend, the Thunderbolts now sit in 2^nd place in the SPHL standings, one point behind 1^st place Quad City.

The Week Ahead:

The Thunderbolts are in Pelham, Alabama to take on the Birmingham Bulls on Friday, November 18^th and Saturday, November 19^th, both games beginning at 7:00pm CT.  Both games can be watched on SPHL TV with a subscription through HockeyTV.  Fans can also listen in for free on the Thunderbolts Radio Network, through the Thunderbolts Mixlr Channel or at EvansvilleThunderbolts.com/fan-center/live . 

Scouting the Opponent: 

• Birmingham Bulls:
  • ◦ Record: 4-3-0, 8 Points, T-5^th Place
  • ◦ Leading Goal Scorer: Carson Rose (5 Goals)
  • ◦ Leading Point Scorer: Carson Rose (13 Points)
  • ◦ Primary Goaltender: Hayden Stewart (3-2-0, .920 Save %)
  • ◦ Thunderbolts 21-22 Record vs BHM: 5-2-1

On home ice for both games this past week, the Bulls defeated the Fayetteville Marksmen 5-2 on Thursday, with Matt Wiesner, Stepan Timofeyev and Mike Davis scoring one goal and assist each, and Jordan Martin along with Jake Goldowski adding a goal each.  Hayden Stewart picked up the win in net with 20 saves on 22 shots.  The following night against Knoxville saw a narrow 5-4 defeat at the hands of the Ice Bears.  Carson Rose led the offense with two goals and an assist, while Martin and Jake Pappalardo scored a goal each.  Stewart was in net once again but stopped only 29 of 34 shots faced.  The Bulls play in Macon this Thursday night before returning home to host the Thunderbolts on Friday and Saturday. 

Call-up Report 

            - None

Transactions: 

Thur. 11/10: Derek Sutliffe signed to Professional Tryout

The Thunderbolts are currently competing in their sixth season in the SPHL (Southern Professional Hockey League). Individual game tickets, season tickets, and group packages are on sale for this 2022-23 season.  To order your tickets for this season, call 812-422-BOLT(2658).

Steeves Earns SPHL Player of the Week Honors

The Evansville Thunderbolts of the SPHL (Southern Professional Hockey League) and Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes are pleased to announce that goaltender Zane Steeves has been named the SPHL’s Player of the Week for November 7^th to 13^th.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Friday, December 2^nd against the Quad City Storm at 7:00pm CT.  For tickets, call (812)422-BOLT (2658), go to EvansvilleThunderbolts.com, or visit the Ford Center Ticket Office.

On Friday night against the Huntsville Havoc, Steeves only allowed a single goal on 20 shots faced as he backstopped the Thunderbolts to a 4-1 win.  The Red Deer, Alberta native did himself one better on Sunday against the Quad City Storm, pitching a 33-save shutout as the Thunderbolts defeated Quad City 5-0.  The shutout was his first as a Thunderbolt, and the second of his SPHL career.  So far this season, Steeves has a record of 6-1, along with a goals-against average of 2.00 and a whopping .932% save percentage.  His 6 wins lead all goaltenders in the SPHL, while his goals-against average and save percentage rank 3^rd and 5^th, respectively.

Individual game tickets, season tickets and group packages are on sale for this 2022-23 season.  Call 812-422-BOLT or visit our all-new website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

Thunderbolts Announce Opening Roster, Captains

The Evansville Thunderbolts of the SPHL (Southern Professional Hockey League) and Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes announce today the opening roster and team captain and assistant captains for the 2022-23 Season.

At Forward, Mike Ferraro, Matthew Hobbs, Cameron Cook, Hayden Hulton, and Aaron Huffnagle all return from the 2021-22 roster, along with SPHL free agent signings Andrew Shewfelt from Pensacola and Mathieu Cloutier from the Peoria Rivermen.  The Thunderbolts welcome veteran Swedish forwards Fredrik Wink and Philip Wong, both from Sollumtuna HC of the Swedish Division 2 league.  After a professional season in Germany with ESC Kempten, Brendan Harrogate joins the lineup, along with rookies Matthew Barron, Kenny Britton, and Walker Sommer, all of whom join the Thunderbolts after playing college hockey last season with Ontario Tech University, University of Victoria, and Niagara University, respectively.

On Defense, Tanner Butler, Timothy Faulkner, and Dillon Hill all return from 2021-22, along with Oleksandr Liulchuk, who starts his second stint as a Thunderbolt after playing for Evansville in the 2018-19 campaign.  Alexis Girard joins the defense corps after playing with Fayetteville, Knoxville and Vermilion County, as well as in the ECHL with Trois-Rivieres in 2021-22.  Former Quad City defenseman Kristaps Nimanis joins the team following a pair of seasons in his native Latvia with Liepaja, while veteran Swedish defenseman Felix Sasser also comes to Evansville from Sollumtuna HC along with forwards Wink and Wong.  Rounding out the defense is Zachery Bennett, who turned pro in 2021-22 in Sweden with the Soderhamn/Ljusne HC and Stromsbro IF programs.

The goaltending tandem consists of Henry Johnson, who played briefly with the Macon Mayhem following 5 seasons of college hockey with Bemidji State and Mercyhurst Universities, and Zane Steeves, previously with the Huntsville Havoc and Birmingham Bulls in 2021-22.

Third-year Thunderbolts forward Hayden Hulton has been named the 8^th captain in franchise history, after previously serving as an assistant captain in 2021-22.  In addition, third-year defenseman Tanner Butler and defenseman Kristaps Nimanis have been appointed as assistant captains for the 2022-23 season.

Single Game Tickets Now On Sale

The Evansville Thunderbolts, of the SPHL (Southern Professional Hockey League), announced today that single game tickets are now on sale for the upcoming 2022-2023 season.

The Thunderbolts begin their sixth season of pro hockey with the home opener on Saturday, October 22 at the Ford Center in downtown Evansville.  The team has twenty-eight regular season home games and fifty-six overall in the SPHL.  The regular season concludes on April 7.

Single game seats can be purchased at the Ford Center Box Office.  They are open Monday through Friday from Noon until 5:00pm (Central time).  Tickets can also be purchased via ticketmaster.com. 

This year promises to provide new and exciting promotional nights.  They include Wizards Night, Gamers Night, 80’s Night and more.  The season also includes many of the traditional favorites, including Star Wars Night, Dogs Night Out, New Year’s Eve Game with fireworks, Superhero Night and many more.  A full list of theme nights can be found on the team’s all-new website at evansvillethunderbolts.com. 

The Thunderbolts also offer group discounts, season tickets, mini plans and other specials.  Call 812-422-BOLT for details.

Thunderbolts Re-sign Timothy Faulkner

The Evansville Thunderbolts, of the SPHL (Southern Professional Hockey League), announced today the re-signing of Defenseman Timothy Faulkner to the 2022-2023 team.

The 6’4” native of New Baden, Illinois will start his second year as a pro with the Thunderbolts, where he played 48 games in his rookie campaign (2 goals, 8 assists, 10 points, 65 penalty minutes).  Prior to his start in Evansville, he played three years at Aurora University.

Head Coach Jeff Bes says about the Sophomore, “Tim came in mid-way last season and contributed in every game he played. He committed himself this summer to be ready and prepared to help our team win some games.”

Faulkner says about his time in Evansville last season, “I had a blast in Evansville, and I’m excited to build on what we had going last year.  It was a great experience, and I can’t wait to get it started again.”

Opening night is coming Saturday, October 22.  Individual game tickets will go on sale September 30.  Season ticket and group packages are now on sale for the upcoming season.