turned-in his third consecutive strong, stellar start, repelling 56-shots. Evansville built confidence and mountains of momentum in the Sunday matinee encore presentation in a hard-luck, snake-bitten setback of 5-4. The ThunderBolts were gallant, valiant, resilient and buoyant despite the ultimate outcome as they surmounted a daunting deficit of 4-1 at the 10:30 mark of the middle period to stage a remarkable comeback counterattack crescendo to the tune of a three-goal rally to forge a 4-4 deadlock by the midpoint juncture of the third frame. Triston Theriot equalized matters at 4-4 near the halfway mark of period three. Perhaps, the fledgling club earned and deserved a better fate and destiny in the Sunday finale.
GEORGIA ON THEIR MINDS: This week, the ThunderBolts stretch of five consecutive games abroad continues with a pair of performances in Atlanta, clashing with their South Division rivals, the Capitals. Evansville will test with the former Topeka-based team on Friday night and Saturday afternoon with both games, as all ‘Bolts games, broadcast live on Evansville’s WVHI-AM 1330. Game broadcast times will be 6:00 pm on Friday night and 1:30 pm on Saturday afternoon. Atlanta is currently riding the crest of a 5-game win streak after launching the campaign rather inauspiciously with a three-game winless span. The Capitals are returning to home ice warfare following a brilliant sweep of their recent four game road trip.
MAKE-UP COMING UP: One of the ThunderBolts two-rescheduled games from Labor Day weekend is coming up on their docket. On Wednesday night, October 21st, the hometown team travels to St. Louis for a date with the torrid, first place Jr. Blues. Game time is 7:15 pm with broadcast set for 6:45 pm on WVHI-AM 1330.
BILLY “BONSAIâ€: Recently-acquired right wing Billy Bonser has developed into an immediate find for “Fanker†and company. The Jackson, MI prodigy fired a pair cannon shots in the second stanza Sunday at Peoria. For the season, he has connected on 4-goals in 5-games with 3 of those strikes stoked in his last 3-games under the ‘Bolts banner. For the season in 5-games; 5(4-2-6).
BRANDON BRINGING IT: The second card-carrying member of the ‘Bolts “Killer Bees,†combination for the Evansville hockey nation, center Brandon Bornkamp has emerged as the team’s premiere point-producer pre- eminence. The State of Indiana High School Scoring Champion in 2014-15 authored the primary assist on both of line-mate Billy Bonser’s Sunday strikes to catapult him to 11-points in 8-games on a team-best 6-goals along 5- assists.
THE TRISTON MISSION: Top-drawer defenseman Triston Theriot is contributing considerable offensive flair for his growing team. Registering a two-point performance Sunday in Peoria, his un-holstered, humming howitzer midway through the third period knotted the contest at 4-4 and climaxed a ThunderBolts spellbinding, electrifying rally from a 4-1 shortfall. Theriot also recorded an assist on Mike Kelley’s PPG in the same game in registering his first 2-point game for the Evansville squadron. For the season, he is 8(2-2-4) with 3 of his 4-points collected by way of the manpower advantage.
BOLTS LIKE MIKE: First-year junior left wing Mike Kelley marked his return to the ThunderBolts lineup after being marked absent for five games due to an opening night injury. The youngest member of the team, showed-off a swashbuckling, fearless style in both road affairs in Peoria, fashioning his first-ever goal on the power play, keying Sunday’s resurgence in Peoria.
ADAM AT IT: Goaltender Adam Conkling has been a veritable, virtual human puck barricade in his initial three starts for the ‘Bolts. Despite his club’s 3-1 setback Saturday night in Peoria, the Fort Wayne, IN native was both acrobatic and gymnastic in brushing aside 56-shots in a scintillating performance. With his head on a swivel as well as sprouting rubber limbs on demand in flashing his leather larceny, Conkling has faced 190-SOG for a per game average of 63.3.