JEFF BES JOINS SPHL’S 300-WIN CLUB AS THUNDERBOLTS DEFEAT RIVERMEN 4-2
Evansville, In.: The Thunderbolts broke a 2-2 tie in the third period with two goals from Matthew Hobbs and Isaac Chapman to defeat the Peoria Rivermen 4-2 on Sunday afternoon at Ford Center, as Head Coach Jeff Bes became the 4th head coach in SPHL history to achieve 300 coaching victories. The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Friday, February 28th against the Quad City Storm at 7:05pm CT.
The Rivermen took the game’s first lead, as Daniel Chartrand scored at 10:12 of the first period. In response at 14:29, Tyson Gilmour scored at the side of the net from Logan vande Meerakker and Scott Kirton to tie the game at 1-1. Shortly after a power play chance at 12:20 of the second period, Evansville grabbed a 2-1 lead as a shot by Cameron MacPhee deflected and arced over everybody and into the net, with assists going to Vande Meerakker and Nolan McElhaney. During the celebration, Peoria’s Tristan Trudel punched Kirton unprovoked, and as a result Trudel was handed a match penalty and game misconduct. In the third period, Zach Wilkie tied the game at 3:48, but Evansville again battled through adversity and retook the lead at 6:29, as Hobbs scored from Brady Lynn to give Evansville their second lead of the game. At 10:56, Evansville gained some insurance as Chapman scored on a breakaway from Hobbs to make it 4-2 Evansville, the lead sticking following a late 6-on-5 push from Peoria.
Hobbs scored the game-winning goal plus an assist, Chapman, Gilmour, and MacPhee scored one goal each, while Vande Meerakker tallied a pair of assists. In net, Cole Ceci finished with 28 saves on 30 shots for his 11th win of the season. With the win, Head Coach Jeff Bes picked up his 300th SPHL win, 125 of them with Evansville, joining Glenn Detulleo (312), Jerome Bechard (368), and Jean-Guy Trudel (389) as the 4th member of the SPHL’s 300-Win Club. The Thunderbolts and Rivermen meet for the final time this regular season on Sunday, March 30th at Ford Center.
