Pelham, Ala.: Behind four goals in the first period, the Thunderbolts made their lead stick as they defeated the Birmingham Bulls for their fifth consecutive victory, 4-3 the final score in Pelham on Thursday night. The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Saturday, February 27th against the Quad City Storm at 7:00pm CT.
It was wide open hockey in the first period, with Evansville striking first only 2:40 into the game as Eelis Laaksonen scored on a rebound from John Woernle and Joey Berkopec to give Evansville their first lead. The lead lasted only 19 seconds however as Drake Glover scored for the Bulls on a deflection at 2:59 to tie the game 1-1. Following a penalty kill, the Thunderbolts secured momentum and grabbed a 2-1 lead at 9:43 as Jordan Simoneau scored off a loose puck in the crease, assisted by Derek Contessa and Matthew Hobbs. At 16:07, Contessa scored on a rebound from Hobbs and Simoneau to make it 3-1, and Scott Kirton made it a 4-1 game at 17:45 off a setup from behind the net from Aiden MacIntosh and Evan Miller. The Bulls managed to trim the lead to 4-2 with 25 seconds remaining in the first period, with CJ Walker scoring on an elevated rebound. Both teams tightened up defensively from there and the second period was scoreless as a result. Late in the third period, the Bulls pulled goaltender Hayden Stewart and managed to make it a one-goal game at 18:27, with Arkhip Ledziankou scoring to make it a 4-3 score, but Evansville managed to hang on from there for the victory down the final stretch, placing the Thunderbolts back into 2nd place in the SPHL standings after Pensacola briefly jumped over Evansville with their Thursday morning win in Macon.
Simoneau and Contessa scored one goal and one assist each, Laaksonen and Kirton finished with one goal each, while Hobbs tallied a pair of assists. In goal, Kristian Stead made 22 saves on 25 shots for his 21st win of the season. The Thunderbolts and Bulls do not meet again this regular season, with the season series ending in a 4-4 tie in wins versus losses, with Evansville taking the series in points as they lost twice post-regulation while the Bulls lost only once post-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