THUNDERBOLTS LOSE ALL-STAR DEFENSEMAN TRISTON THERIOT FOR REST OF SEASON EVANSVILLE’S TOP-SCORING BLUE LINE ACE INJURED IN TOP PROSPECTS TOURNAMENT KNOPF, DLUGACH RETURN TO BOLTS; THUNDERBOLTS IN CINCINNATI FOR THE WEEKEND
EVANSVILLE, IN— The Evansville ThunderBolts of the NA3HL elite junior hockey league have announced on this date that All-Star defenseman TRISTON THERIOT has suffered a fractured scapula and has been lost for the remainder of the 2015-16 season.
THERIOT (tair-ee-OH), who recently celebrated his 19th birthday on February 8th, sustained the season-ending injury representing the Midwest Division All-Stars in the opening game of the NA3HL’s Annual Top Prospects Tournament, a three-day event held from February 15th through the 17th at the USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, MI.
One of three ThunderBolts All-Stars competing in the annual event, THERIOT has been Evansville’s top-scoring defenseman for this entire inaugural season. The Fort Wayne, IN product has registered 17-points in 38-games on 5- goals, 12-assists with 11 of those points produced through the power play. The ‘Bolts blue line bulwark has become the consummate leader of this first-ever elite junior hockey club in Evansville. He routinely logs the most ice time of any player on the team and is prominent in his play and overall performance in every game situation.
To fill the vacuum created by the Theriot injury, General Manager/Coach Scott Fankhouser will move his team’s third leading scorer, right wing Mike Kelley back to the blue line. Kelley’s line-mates for the preponderance of the season, All-Stars Jon Grimm and Brandon Bornkamp, continue to display their talents and skills at the same tourney.
Theriot becomes the third member of the ThunderBolts to see his hockey season truncated due to injury. He joins defenseman Nate Thormann and right wing Joey Sorenson on the season-ending shelf.
At the same time, there is always much positive news to report from the ThunderBolts. Right wings BRANDON KNOPF (NOFF) and MIKE DLUGACH (DO-glock) should be back with the team for the rest of the current campaign. Both youthful, high-energy players have been impressive, injecting a real spark of elixir into the ‘Bolts lineup through their first two NA3HL game action tests with the ‘Bolts.
The ThunderBolts are traveling this weekend with their destination being Cincinnati where they will be hosted by the 4th place divisional rival Thunder in a pair of encounters at the historic Cincinnati Gardens, Saturday night at 7:00 pm and Sunday in a 1:00 pm matinee affair. Radio broadcast times will be 6:30 pm on Saturday and 12:30 pm Sunday on the exclusive radio flagship home of the ‘Bolts, Evansville’s WVHI-AM 1330 and on the world-wide internet at www.wvhi.com.
