Thunderbolts Forced to Settle for Weekend Split at Birmingham
SPHL Evansville Thunderbolts

Thunderbolts Forced to Settle for Weekend Split at Birmingham

Published on January 31, 2026 under SPHL (SPHL)
Evansville Thunderbolts News Release


Pelham, AL - Following the 3-1 victory on Friday, the Thunderbolts scored the game's first goal but came up short as the Bulls came back to defeat Evansville 3-2 on Saturday night in Pelham. The Thunderbolts' next home game at Ford Center will be on Wednesday, February 4th against the Peoria Rivermen at 7:00pm CT.

Following a big penalty kill late in the first period, Evansville grabbed a 1-0 lead with 58 seconds remaining as Will van der Veen scored from Keanan Stewart and Evan Miller. An early second period penalty proved costly for the Thunderbolts, as CJ Walker scored at 1:32 to tie the game, and Walker scored once again at 4:03 to put the Bulls ahead 2-1. In the third period, Evansville gained a late power play advantage and pulled Kristian Stead for a 6-on-4 advantage, but MacGregor Sinclair managed to score into the empty net to put the game out of reach at 3-1 with 47 seconds remaining. Adding insult to injury, Evansville scored in the very final second of the game on the same power play, scored by Evan Miller and assisted by Joey Berkopec and Derek Contessa to bring the final score to 3-2.

Miller led the way with a goal and assist, and Van der Veen added one goal. In goal, Kristian Stead stopped 32 of 34 shots on goal, keeping Evansville in the game all the way to the finish. The Thunderbolts and Bulls meet for the final time this regular season on Thursday, February 26th at Pelham Civic Complex, with the Bulls leading the regular season series 4-3.

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

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SPHL Stories from January 31, 2026


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