Havoc Claw Back in Third, Take Down Thunderbolts, 5-4, in SO
SPHL Huntsville Havoc

Havoc Claw Back in Third, Take Down Thunderbolts, 5-4, in SO

Published on January 9, 2026 under SPHL (SPHL)
Huntsville Havoc News Release


HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Huntsville Havoc battled to stay in the game after trailing through two periods, rallying late in the third period and earning a shootout win over the Evansville Thunderbolts on Friday night.

The first period opened with fast, physical hockey. The Thunderbolts got on the board at 8:44 to take an early lead. While the Havoc went on the power play three minutes later, Evansville remained aggressive offensively and outshot Huntsville 16-9 before the first intermission.

A tense second period followed. At 5:52, the Thunderbolts doubled their lead to 2-0. Connor Galloway answered with a wrist shot, assisted by Ethan Lindsay and Connor Fries, to cut the deficit in half. After a hooking penalty against the Havoc, Evansville capitalized on the power play to extend their lead to 3-1.

Just 19 seconds into the final frame, the Thunderbolts struck again to make it 4-1. Despite the deficit, the Havoc continued to skate hard and generate chances. On the power play at 8:24, Josh Kestner scored with assists from Austin Alger and Kevin Weaver-Vitale, cutting the score down to 4-2. One minute later, Cole Golka netted his first goal as a Havoc, assisted by Connor Galloway and Kevin Weaver-Vitale. At the midway point of the third period, Connor Galloway, backed by Ben Schultheis, tied the game at 4-4 and forced overtime.

Overtime remained scoreless.

After eight rounds of the shootout, Cole Golka made the game-winning attempt.

Brian Wilson stopped 40-of-44 shots to ensure the victory. Huntsville went 1-for-5 on the power play.

The Havoc will stay home for their next game against the Evansville Thunderbolts on Friday, January 10 at Roto-Rooter Ice at the Propst Arena.

Check out the Huntsville Havoc Statistics

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