Thunderbolts Face Pensacola in First Round of Playoffs
SPHL Evansville Thunderbolts

Thunderbolts Face Pensacola in First Round of Playoffs

Published on April 6, 2026 under SPHL (SPHL)
Evansville Thunderbolts News Release


Evansville, In.: After taking all four meetings in the regular season against Pensacola, including a weekend sweep at Ford Center this past weekend, the slate is wiped clean as the Thunderbolts will look to carry that momentum into the first round of the President's Cup Playoffs, as they will again take on the Pensacola Ice Flyers in a best-of-three series.

Week In Review:

On Friday night, the Thunderbolts picked up the lone goal in each of the first two periods, scored by Jordan Simoneau and Derek Contessa, to take a 2-0 lead into the third period. Strong goaltending and a mid-third period goal by Ethan Price brought Pensacola to within one goal, before Aaron Huffnagle's goal late in regulation sealed the 3-1 win to clinch a top four spot. The Ice Flyers scored first in the first period on Saturday before Evansville rattled off four unanswered goals to secure the 4-1 win, with two goals from Simoneau and one each from Anthony Mollica and Myles Abbate. In goal for Evansville both nights was Kristian Stead, who stopped 17 of 18 shots on Friday and 19 of 20 shots on Saturday to pick up his 22nd and 23rd wins of the season to break the Thunderbolts' single season record for wins by one goaltender, previously held by Brian Billett, who won 21 games in the 2021-22 season.

The Week Ahead:

Finishing in the top four of the SPHL standings for the first time in franchise history, the Thunderbolts earned the benefit of hosting two out of three games, if necessary, in the first round of the playoffs. Game one will be at Ford Center this Wednesday, April 8th, opening face-off at 7:00pm CT. Game two in Pensacola will be this Friday, April 10th, opening face-off at 7:05pm CT. Fans can watch Friday's game on FloHockey or can listen in for free on the Thunderbolts Mixlr Channel. If a third game is necessary, game three will be back at Ford Center on Sunday, April 12th, opening face-off at 3:00pm CT. Fans can purchase tickets to this Wednesday's game by calling (812)422-BOLT (2658), going to EvansvilleThunderbolts.com, or by visiting the Ford Center Ticket Office. Details on future home playoff game tickets will be made available as the playoffs progress.

Coming Soon:

If the Thunderbolts advance into the semifinals, the next series would be a best-of-five game series. If at least two of the top three seeded teams (Peoria, Huntsville, and Roanoke) are defeated in the first round, the Thunderbolts would carry home-ice advantage into the second round and have the ability of hosting three out of the five maximum games.

Scouting the Opponent:

Pensacola Ice Flyers:

Record: 28-21-9, 65 Points, 5th Place

Leading Goal Scorer: Sam Rhodes (24 Goals)

Leading Point Scorer: Sam Rhodes (38 Points)

Primary Goaltender: Troy Kobryn (2-5-2, .911 Save %)

Thunderbolts Regular Season Record vs PEN: 4-0-0

Ethan Price scored Pensacola's lone goal on Friday night, while Zach Bross opened the scoring for Pensacola on Saturday. In goal, Christian Propp kept the game very close on Friday, despite Pensacola being out outshot 34-18, with Propp stopping 31 of 34. On Saturday, Troy Kobryn stopped 22 of 26 shots.

Call-up Report

- Jaden Shields (Rapid City - ECHL)

- 39 GP, 5 G, 16 A, 21 P, 14 PIM

- Connor Federkow (Worcester - ECHL)

- 19 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P, 8 PIM

- Keanan Stewart (Tahoe - ECHL)

- 10 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 P, 2 PIM

Transactions:

- Sun. 4/5: D Carter Poulin added to playoff roster

Season tickets for the 2026-27 season and single-game tickets for the 2026 playoffs are on sale now. Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

Check out the Evansville Thunderbolts Statistics

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SPHL Stories from April 6, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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