Evansville, In.:  It was the Mike Ferraro show at Ford Center on Friday night, as Ferraro scored all three Thunderbolt goals to help Evansville defeat the Vermilion County Bobcats in overtime, 3-2.  The Thunderbolts next home game will be on Saturday, January 22ndat 7:00pm CST as they host the Quad City Storm. For tickets, call (812)422-BOLT (2658), buy online at EvansvilleThunderbolts.com, or buy tickets in person at the Ford Center Box Office.
It was Vermilion County who scored first, as Chase DiBari sniped the first shot of the game past Brian Billett to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead at 2:04. That lead lasted only a minute and 17 seconds as Ferraro scored his first goal of the night at 3:21 from Zane Jones and Tyson Kirkby to tie the game. That trio connected again at 18:27 of the first period, as Ferraro was set up by Jones from behind the net to give Evansville the 2-1 lead, again assisted by Kirkby as well. The score stayed stagnant through the second period and into the third period before the Bobcats tied the game on a quick shot only 38 seconds into the period from Egor Borshchev.
Despite a 15-3 shot advantage, the Thunderbolts failed to score in the third period against Bobcat goaltender Ben Churchfield. Evansville took a late penalty with only 45 seconds remaining in regulation but managed to kill off the first 45 seconds to force overtime and killed off the remaining 1:15 in overtime. The Bobcats nearly won it on said power play in overtime, as Christian Faggas hit the corner of the post and crossbar to nearly win it for the Bobcats, but it stayed just out of the net and the Thunderbolts took control once the power play was over.  Right off the face-off at 2:07 of overtime, Brandon Lubin set up Ferraro, who moved in on goal and scored a highlight-reel goal, on a shot from between the legs, to beat Churchfield and win it for Evansville in overtime, 3-2.
Ferraro scored all three Thunderbolts goals, while Jones and Kirkby each tallied two assists. Billett finished with 20 saves on 22 shots for his 11th win of the season. The Thunderbolts next face the Bobcats on Saturday, February 5th at Ford Center.
