Thunderbolts Set to Host Rivermen for Whiteout Wednesday
SPHL Evansville Thunderbolts

Thunderbolts Set to Host Rivermen for Whiteout Wednesday

Published on February 3, 2026 under SPHL (SPHL)
Evansville Thunderbolts News Release


Evansville, In.: Following a split in Birmingham against the Bulls, the Thunderbolts return to Ford Center for a Wednesday night showdown with the Peoria Rivermen, before heading back on the road for a weekend doubleheader in Macon against the Mayhem.

Week In Review:

The Thunderbolts defeated the Bulls 3-1 on Friday night, with goals from Keanan Stewart, Isaac Chapman and Evan Miller. Despite scoring first on Saturday with a goal by Will van der Veen, the Thunderbolts came up just short of the weekend sweep, falling 3-2 with a late goal added by Evan Miller, who finished with a four-point weekend.

The Week Ahead:

We're having a WHITE OUT at the Ford Center this Wednesday, February 4th against the Peoria Rivermen at 7:00 pm! Wear white to the game and cheer on your Evansville Thunderbolts while they're in their full white uniforms! The Thunderbolts will be in Macon to take on the Mayhem this Friday and Saturday night, with face-off set for 6:00pm CT on Friday and 5:00pm CT on Saturday. Fans can watch both games live on FloHockey or can listen in for free on the Thunderbolts Mixlr Channel.

Coming Soon:

We're heading back to the prehistoric ages with our annual Jurassic Night on Friday, February 13th! Enjoy dino races on the ice and hard-hitting hockey! Feller Express will be in the building with animatronic dinosaurs to take pictures with before puck drop!

Scouting the Opponent:

Peoria Rivermen:

Record: 28-8-1, 57 Points, 1st Place

Leading Goal Scorer: Michael McChesney (24 Goals)

Leading Point Scorer: Alec Baer (41 Points)

Primary Goaltender: Nick Latinovich (15-4-0, .931 Save %)

Thunderbolts Season Record vs PEO: 3-4-0

The Rivermen are currently the hottest team in the SPHL by a significant margin, winners of 18 of their last 19 games, the only loss since December 12th an overtime defeat to Quad City on New Year's Eve. Peoria squeaked out another two wins in Huntsville this past weekend, starting with a 2-1 shootout victory on Friday with Zac Sirota scoring in regulation and Alec Baer along with Griffen Fox in the shootout. On Saturday the Rivermen shut out Huntsville 1-0, Michael McChesney the lone goal scorer midway through the third period.

Macon Mayhem:

Record: 14-14-6, 34 Points, 9th Place

Leading Goal Scorer: Matteo Ybarra (10 Goals)

Leading Point Scorer: Conor Witherspoon (25 Points)

Primary Goaltender: Josh Boyko (9-10-3, .920 Save %)

Thunderbolts Season Record vs MAC: 0-0-2

The Mayhem continue to stay in the thick of the playoff race entering February, beginning last weekend with a 3-1 win in Knoxville behind a pair of goals from Justin Kelley and one from Caleb Huffman. Macon suffered a setback in the Sunday afternoon rematch as the Ice Bears shut out the Mayhem 3-0. Macon will host the Pensacola Ice Flyers this Thursday night before hosting the Thunderbolts.

Call-up Report

- Jaden Shields (Idaho - ECHL)

- 29 GP, 3 G, 13 A, 16 P, 14 PIM

- Connor Federkow (Worcester - ECHL)

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

Transactions:

-Mon. 2/2: F Connor Tait placed on team suspension

-Sun. 2/1: D Ethan Hawes released from professional tryout (PTO)

-Sun. 1/25: D John Woernle activated from Injured Reserve

-Sun. 1/25: D Dmitry Yushkevich placed on 14-Day Injured Reserve

-Fri. 1/23: D Beren Simard placed on 14-Day Injured Reserve

-Fri. 1/23: D Max Thiessen returned from call-up to Idaho (ECHL)

-Wed. 1/21: D Ethan Hawes signed to professional tryout (PTO)

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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SPHL Stories from February 3, 2026


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