SPHL Evansville Thunderbolts

Thunderbolts Prepare for Final Regular Season Road Games in Pensacola

Published on March 25, 2024 under SPHL (SPHL)
Evansville Thunderbolts News Release


Evansville, In.: With a spot in the President's Cup Playoffs in April secured, the Thunderbolts prepare to embark on their final regular season trip to Pensacola, where they will play the Ice Flyers this Friday and Saturday night.

Week In Review:

Down 1-0 on Friday against Peoria, a pair of goals from Brendan Harrogate and a goal from Adam Pilotte in the second period helped turn the tables as the Thunderbolts defeated the Rivermen 3-1. Peoria got the upper hand in Saturday's rematch, scoring four goals in the first period to overpower the Thunderbolts 4-1, with Evansville's lone goal coming from Matt Dorsey shorthanded in the third period. Ty Taylor stopped 18 of 19 shots in Friday's win, before being swapped on Saturday after stopping 6 of 9 shots, with Cole Ceci finishing strong with 22 saves on 23 shots.

The Week Ahead:

The Thunderbolts will be in Pensacola this Friday and Saturday night to take on the Ice Flyers, both games at the Pensacola Bay Center beginning at 7:05pm CT. Fans can watch Friday and Saturday's games on FloHockey with a paid subscription or can listen in for free on the Thunderbolts Mixlr Channel. Fans can also watch both games at the Official Thunderbolts away game watch party at Parkway Pizza on 3911 Broadway Avenue on Evansville's West Side.

Coming Soon:

Following this weekend's road games, the Thunderbolts return home for their final regular season home games on Friday, April 5th and Saturday, April 6th as they host the Birmingham Bulls. Friday the 5th will be Country Night, featuring a special ticket package deal of one ticket for Country Night as well as one ticket to PBR on May 25th at Ford Center for only $30, available only at the Ford Center Box Office. PBR riders Travis Dillman and Travis Myers will be in attendance and will be available in the lobby for pictures and autographs. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a $5 off $5 or more coupon from Donato's Pizza. Saturday the 6th will be Fan Appreciation Night, with a Party on the Plaza outside Ford Center from 4-6pm, featuring Salsarita's Food Truck, a smash car, music from DJ Chidi, and other fun activities. During the game there will be giveaways from Salsarita's, Cookies By Design, Wayback Burgers, Hoosier Lottery, LyondellBasell, along with a drone from B&C Outlet, tickets to numerous upcoming Victory Theater shows, and much more! A Matthew Hobbs jersey will also be raffled off, along with two Louder Than Life weekend passes courtesy of Cromwell Media, raffle tickets will be available for $5 for 5 or $20 for 25. The Thunderbolts' home red jerseys will also be auctioned off after the game, for pickup after the final playoff game. In addition, the first 2,500 fans in attendance will receive 2024 Solar Eclipse glasses courtesy of Pritchett Brothers Roofing and Exteriors. For the first round of the President's Cup Playoffs, the Thunderbolts will play against either the Peoria Rivermen or Birmingham Bulls in a best-of-three series. The confirmed opponent, game dates, and times will be announced soon.

Scouting the Opponent:

Pensacola Ice Flyers:

Record: 24-24-3, 51 Points, 7th Place

Leading Goal Scorer: Joseph Widmar (16 Goals)

Leading Point Scorer: Joseph Widmar (53 Points)

Primary Goaltender: Stephen Mundinger (15-13-1, .909 Save %)

Thunderbolts 23-24 Record vs PEN: 1-0-0

Offense was not a problem for the Ice Flyers this past weekend in Macon, beginning with a 6-1 win on Friday, with one goal each from Houston Wilson, Erik Urbank, Mitch Atkins, Malik Johnson, Jordan Henderson, and Nick Leitner. On Saturday, the Ice Flyers again scored six goals, two each from Wilson and Johnson, with another goal each from Sean Ross and Atkins, however Macon's offense came alive and outscored Pensacola 8-6. Stephen Mundinger picked up the win on Friday with 34 saves on 35 shots, while Eric Dop started Saturday's game, stopping only 10 of 16 shots before being relieved by Mundinger, who stopped 14 of 16 the rest of the way.

Call-up Report

- Colton Kalezic (Cincinnati Cyclones - ECHL)

- 40 GP, 5 G, 6 A, 11 P, 10 PIM

- Chays Ruddy (Orlando Solar Bears - ECHL)

- 7 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 P, 13 PIM

- Bair Gendunov (Tulsa Oilers - ECHL)

- 19 GP, 7 G, 5 A, 12 P, 4 PIM

- Mike Ferraro (Cincinnati Cyclones, prev. Savannah - ECHL)

- 33 GP, 4 G, 6 A, 10 P, 12 PIM

Transactions:

Sat. 3/23: F Brady Lynn activated from Injured Reserve

Sat. 3/23: F Jordan Simoneau placed on 14-Day Injured Reserve

Thur. 3/21: G Cole Ceci returned from call-up to Worcester (ECHL)

Thur. 3/21: D Adam Pilotte signed to contract

Thur. 3/21: G Brendahn Brawley placed on 30-Day Injured Reserve

Thur. 3/21: D Benjamin Lindberg placed on 14-Day Injured Reserve

Individual game tickets and group packages are on sale for this 2023-24 season. Season tickets for the 2024-25 season are on sale now. Call 812-422-BOLT or visit our all-new website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

Check out the Evansville Thunderbolts Statistics

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