Evansville, In.: After splitting last weekend’s games against the Rivermen and finishing the Month of February with a 5-1 record, the Thunderbolts take on the Rivermen once again this Saturday night in Bloomington, Illinois, before hosting Peoria once again on Sunday afternoon at Ford Center. 

Week In Review: 

 

                The Thunderbolts were defeated 2-1 on Friday night in Peoria, their only loss in the entire month of February. After James Isaacs tied the game 1-1 in the third period, the Rivermen won the game with a goal in the final second of regulation time.  In Saturday’s rematch at Ford Center, a pair of goals from Fredrik Wink and goals from Alex Cohen, Jason Lavallee and Derek Osik propelled Evansville to a 5-2 victory.  Trevor Gorsuch was spectacular in goal once again in both games, stopping 32 of 34 shots on Friday and 47 of 49 on Saturday.  

 

The Week Ahead: 

                The Thunderbolts start the upcoming weekend in Bloomington, Illinois on Saturday night as they take on the Rivermen in a neutral-site game just an hour away from Peoria at Grossinger Motors Arena, puck drop at 7:15pm CT. The same two teams will face off once again on Ford Center ice this Sunday afternoon at 3:00pm CT for the final Sunday Funday game of the season.  $2 Bud Light 12oz cans and $2 hot dogs will be available until the end of the first intermission (while supplies last), and kids under 12 will receive a voucher for a free small bag of popcorn.  There will also be a postgame meet-and-greet with the players at BJ’s Brewhouse on North Green River Road.  For tickets to Sunday’s game, call (812)422-BOLT (2658), go to EvansvilleThunderbolts.com, or visit the Ford Center Ticket Office. Saturday night’s game can be viewed on SPHL TV with a paid subscription through HockeyTV, or can be listened to for free on the Thunderbolts Radio Network via the Thunderbolts MixLr Channel or at EvansvilleThunderbolts.com/fan-center/live . 

Coming Soon: 

 

                The Thunderbolts’ next home games following this weekend will be on Friday the 10^th and Saturday the 11^thas the Thunderbolts host the Macon Mayhem, both games starting at 7:00pm CT.  Friday the 10^th will be PTO Giveback Night, where Tri-State Parent Teacher Organizations and Associations can purchase tickets to this game, with a portion of each ticket going back to their PTO or PTA.  Saturday the 11^th will be Pink the Rink & Heart Health Wellness Night, honoring those who have or are still dealing with life challenging health situations.  Following Friday’s game, fans may enter the Ford Center hospitality room in the back of the front lobby, where fans who contribute a $5 donation may paint a name of someone lost to, currently fighting, or has survived cancer, in pink paint on the ice (waiver required to be signed to come onto the ice surface).  All names will be visible on the ice during the entirety of Saturday night’s game. There is also a special offer available, where those who wish to attend both home games can get $2 off each game if purchased together. 

  

Scouting the Opponent: 

Peoria Rivermen: 

1. • Record: 31-10-3, 65 Points, 1^st Place 
   • Leading Goal Scorer: Alec Hagaman (19 Goals) 
   • Leading Point Scorer: Alec Hagaman (49 Points) 
   • Primary Goaltender: Eric Levine (14-6-2, .915 Save %) 
   • Thunderbolts 22-23 Record vs PEO: 4-4-0 

                Prior to taking on the Thunderbolts, the Rivermen were defeated 4-3 in a shootout on Thursday night at Quad City.  Goals from Alexandre Carrier, Cayden Cahill and Mitchell McPherson had given the Rivermen a 3-1 lead before the Storm rallied in the third period to force overtime and then the shootout, where Joseph Widmar scored for Peoria, but the Rivermen lost the shootout 2-1.  Zach Wilkie and Jordan Ernst scored Peoria’s goals against Evansville on Friday, Ernst’s coming in the final second of regulation to win the game for the Rivermen.  In their loss to the Thunderbolts on Saturday, Jake Hamilton and Alec Baer scored the only two Rivermen goals. 

 

Strawbridge was the #9 scorer in the MVC

One of the most consistent players for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team throughout the 2022-23 season, Kenny Strawbridge Jr. was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference Third Team on Wednesday evening.

Strawbridge scored an average of 14.5 points per game over the course of the season, finishing 9^th in the league.  He had eight 20-point efforts throughout the season including a season-high of 25 against Fairfield in November.

One of his most impressive efforts came against Bellarmine in December.  After being held scoreless in the opening 20 minutes, Strawbridge erupted for 22 points in the second half to lift the Purple Aces to a victory.

He scored at least eight points in all but one contests in his first season at UE while attempting at least 10 shots in all but four games.  His debut for UE came in the win at Miami Ohio where he led the way with 23 points in the season-opening win.

HORD, BORGSTROM HOMER AS BASEBALL ACES BOUNCE SEMO, 14-8

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – University of Evansville junior catcher Brendan Hord (Lexington, Ky./Paul Dunbar) and fifth-year outfielder Danny Borgstrom (Morris, Ill./Morris) both launched home runs on Wednesday, and UE used a six-run third inning and five-run eighth to blast past the host Southeast Missouri State Redhawks, 14-8, at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

“It was great to get a win on the road against a good SEMO club,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll.  “The offense was able to put up a couple of big innings, and our pitching staff did well enough to get the win.

“Top to bottom in our lineup, we had guys contribute and we got a couple of big blasts from (Brendan) Hord and (Danny) Borgstrom in some key spots.  We also got an outstanding performance from Jakob Meyer in relief, which was great to see.  Now, we have a big weekend ahead, with four games back at home.”

It took Evansville just two batters to score the game’s first run on a day where UE set season-highs for runs and hits.  After junior second baseman Kip Fougerousse (Linton, Ind./Linton-Stockton) led off the game with a walk and advanced into scoring position due to an error, current Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week Chase Hug drove him home with an RBI single to left field to give UE a 1-0 lead.

After the Redhawks answered back with a run of its own in the second inning, UE would explode for six runs in the third inning to grab a lead it would never lose.  Hug led off the frame with a single and advanced to second on an error by the outfielder.  Junior shortstop Simon Scherry (Santa Claus, Ind./Heritage Hills) would then follow with an RBI double down the right field line, and scored on a two-run home run by Hord, his third home run of the year.

After a pair of walks and another SEMO error put runners on second and third, sophomore DH Evan Waggoner (Bedford, Ind./Bedford North Lawrence) would drive in a run on an RBI ground-out to push the UE lead to 5-1.  Sophomore outfielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind./North) then followed with an RBI single and a stolen base, and Fougerousse would drive in Rumsey with another RBI single to help UE build a 7-1 cushion.

SEMO would respond in the bottom of the third inning with a two-out grand slam by DH Carlos Aranda, who would drive in the first five runs of the day for the Redhawks, to cut the UE lead to 7-5.  But, that would be as close as SEMO would get, as UE added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings on RBI base hits by fifth-year outfielder Eric Roberts (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) and Waggoner, before Borgstrom would respond with a grand slam of his own in the eighth inning to help UE cruise to a 14-8 victory.

Borgstrom would go 2-for-4 with three runs scored and four RBI for UE, while Rumsey and Hug each had three hits to pace the UE offense.  Waggoner, making his first career start, would go 2-for-5 with two RBI, while Hord added two RBI as well.  Scherry and Roberts also had two-hit days for UE, which pounded out 16 hits.

Freshman RHP Max Hansmann (2-0) earned the win, allowing five runs on four hits in 3.0 innings of work in a scheduled short-start.  Senior reliever Jakob Meyer and graduate reliever Jarrett Blunt combined to toss 4.0 scoreless innings of one-hit relief while striking out five to help aid the UE bullpen.

With the victory, Evansville (3-5) extends its winning streak to three games.  Meanwhile, SEMO falls to 2-7 on the season with the loss.  The Purple Aces will return home to German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium this weekend for a four-game series against the Bowling Green State University Falcons (2-4).  The series begins Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. and will continue with a Saturday noon doubleheader and a Sunday 1 p.m. contest.