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