Thunderbolts Host Rivermen for Hockey Holidays Night this Saturday
SPHL Evansville Thunderbolts

Thunderbolts Host Rivermen for Hockey Holidays Night this Saturday

Published on December 18, 2025 under SPHL (SPHL)
Evansville Thunderbolts News Release


Evansville, In.: After a quiet weekend with only one game at Quad City this past Sunday, the action ramps back up for Evansville as they travel to Peoria for a Thursday morning game and Huntsville on Friday night before hosting the Rivermen at Ford Center on Saturday night for Hockey Holidays Night.

Week In Review:

The Storm rattled off four quick goals late in the first period and Evansville partially rallied late in the second period with a pair of quick goals from Tyson Gilmour and Myles Abbate. Evansville was unable to come any closer as they fell 4-2 to the Storm on Sunday afternoon.

The Week Ahead:

The Thunderbolts will have another early game in Peoria on Thursday morning, face-off at 10:30am CT for Peoria's school day game. On Friday, the Thunderbolts make their first trip of the season to Huntsville to take on the Havoc, opening face-off set at 7:00pm CT. Fans can watch both games online on FloHockey or can listen for free on the Thunderbolts Mixlr Channel. The Thunderbolts return to Ford Center this Saturday, December 20th for a night full of festive fun at Hockey Holidays Night against the Peoria Rivermen! Bring the whole family and get your picture taken with Santa, then head over for cookie decorating presented by Cookies by Design - the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit before puck drop! Enjoy the sights, sounds, and excitement of Thunderbolts hockey as we celebrate the most wonderful time of the year - on the ice! Doors open at 6:15 with puck drop set for 7:00 pm!

Coming Soon:

Get ready to ring in the new year! Join us on Wednesday, December 31st at the Ford Center for our New Year's Eve Game against the Birmingham Bulls! Enjoy all the hard-hitting hockey action as the Bolts close out 2025, then stick around after the final horn for a spectacular post-game fireworks show on the ice! The players jerseys will be auctioned off postgame, giving fans a chance to take home a piece of the action! It's time to roll the dice, Evansville - the Thunderbolts are cashing in a brand-new identity for one weekend only! Join us at the Ford Center on Friday, January 2nd and Saturday, January 3rd as your Thunderbolts rebrand to the Ohio Valley Riverjacks! We're celebrating the rich casino and riverboat history of Evansville, bringing that high-stakes energy straight to the ice. From the jerseys to the lights, it's a full house of fun, excitement, and hard-hitting hockey action! Place your bets on the home team - and get ready to hit the jackpot with the Ohio Valley Riverjacks, one weekend only!

Scouting the Opponent:

Peoria Rivermen:

Record: 11-8-0, 22 Points, 5th Place

Leading Goal Scorer: Michael McChesney (12 Goals)

Leading Point Scorer: Alec Baer (20 Points)

Primary Goaltender: Jack Bostedt (5-4-0, .955 Save %)

Thunderbolts Regular Season Record vs PEO: 3-1

The Rivermen split their two games at home against Knoxville, beginning with a 3-1 loss on Friday night with Garrett Devine's goal late in regulation sparing them from being shut out. Peoria rebounded on Saturday, blanking the Ice Bears 5-0 with two goals from Devine and a hat trick from Khaden Henry.

Huntsville Havoc:

Record: 10-6-4, 24 Points, T-2nd Place

Leading Goal Scorer: Austin Alger (9 Goals)

Leading Point Scorer: Austin Alger (21 Points)

Primary Goaltender: Brian Wilson (7-4-3, .904 Save %)

Thunderbolts Regular Season Record vs HSV: 1-1

It has been a struggle for the Havoc as of late to say the least, entering this week on a five game losing streak and losing seven of their last 10 games overall. The Havoc fell 4-3 in overtime on Thursday at Pensacola with two goals from Matt Allen and one from Ethan Lindsay. On Friday at home, the Havoc had a 2-1 lead after two periods with goals from Craig McCabe and Kevin Weaver-Vitale before the Marksmen struck four times in the third period to defeat Huntsville 5-2. The Havoc host the Quad City Storm this Thursday before hosting Evansville on Friday.

Call-up Report

- Jaden Shields (Idaho - ECHL)

- 15 GP, 2 G, 5 A, 7 P, 6 PIM

- Keanan Stewart (Iowa - ECHL)

- 3 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P, 4 PIM

- Aidan Litke (Niagara University - NCAA D1)

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

Transactions:

- Sun. 12/14: F Evan Miller signed to standard contract

- Sun. 12/14: D Will van der Veen returned from call-up to Tulsa (ECHL)

- Fri. 12/12: F Aidan Litke placed on team suspension (Joined Niagara University - NCAA D1)

- Fri. 12/12: F Keanan Stewart called up to Iowa (ECHL)

Season tickets and single-game tickets for the 2025-26 season 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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