MYLES ABBATE SCORES TWICE IN 4-3 LOSS TO HAVOC
Evansville, In.: It was a big bounce-back weekend for Myles Abbate, scoring once on Friday and twice on Saturday, however it wasn’t enough as the Thunderbolts fell 4-3 to the Havoc on Saturday night at Ford Center. The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Saturday, December 14th against the Birmingham Bulls at 7:05pm CT.
Abbate opened the scoring on a rebound 2:18 into the game, assisted by Nolan McElhaney and Benjamin Lindberg to set off the Teddy Bear Toss. Over 2,200 stuffed animals were tossed onto the Ford Center ice following Abbate’s goal, breaking the record of around 2,100 thrown onto the ice in last year’s event, with all stuffed animals going to charities around the Tri-State to bring smiles to those in need this Holiday season. The Havoc tied the game at 9:41, as Jack Jaunich scored on a net-front scramble to make it a 1-1 game going into the first intermission. The Thunderbolts got into penalty trouble late in the second period, and the Havoc converted on the final opportunity, as Buster Larsson scored to give Huntsville a 2-1 lead at 17:01.
In a back-and-forth third period, Vili Vesalainen tied the game for Evansville at 4:33, off a precision passing play from Derek Contessa and Benjamin Lindberg. The tie would not last long however, as Austin Alger deflected a shot at 6:15 to give the Havoc a 3-2 lead. At 15:59, a net-front deflection by Cole Reginato extended the lead to 4-2. In the fading minutes, Evansville made things interesting, as Abbate scored on a power play with 1:49 remaining to trim the Havoc lead to 4-3. Unfortunately, excellent scoring chances in the final minute were kept out of the net, with the Thunderbolts coming up short 4-3.
Abbate finished with two goals, and Vesalainen finished with one goal. In goal, Cole Ceci finished with 29 saves on 33 shots. The Thunderbolts and Havoc meet once again on Tuesday, December 31st at Ford Center.
Individual game tickets, group packages, and season tickets are on sale for the 2024-25 season. Call 812-422-BOLT or visit our all-new website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.
About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL. The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com
