FAN-FAMILY-FRIENDLY HOME DATES AT SWONDER ICE ARENA TO PRESENT REAL APPEAL
‘BOLTS HOME OPENING NIGHT SET FOR FRI. SEPT. 16TH AGAINST POINT MALLARD DUCKS
EVANSVILLE, IN— Preparing for their second full season of elite junior hockey action in the NA3HL, the Evansville Jr. ThunderBolts, on this date, have unveiled their official League game schedule for the upcoming 2016-17 season.
Under the direction of first-year General Manager/Head Coach Mark Cody, the Jr. ThunderBolts will take flight on their 47-games’ regular season slate on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH in their home opening night extravaganza when they rekindle their arch-rivalry, locking horns with the reigning NA3HL South Division kingpins, the Point Mallard Ducks from Decatur, Alabama. Official game time is set for 7:00 pm from the ‘Bolts hockey home of Swonder Ice Arena. The home opening night also serves as the first game of a two-games’ home-and-home series between the two fractious foes with game two on the docket for the following evening, Saturday September 17th at Point Mallard’s place. It was in their inaugural campaign of 2015-16, back on January 3rd when the Jr. ThunderBolts achieved their historical first-ever victory in Decatur, momentarily derailing the Ducks title timber team express with an emotionally-charged, comeback counterattack 7-4 victory verdict.
Included in the ‘Bolts in-season slate are 22-games at home and another 22 on the road with three more regular season-sanctioned contests set for Blaine, Minnesota December 15th through December 17th as Evansville, once again, participates and competes in the NA3HL Annual Showcase Event. The opponents and official starting times of this trio of games will be announced at a later date.
The FAN-FAMILY-FRIENDLY home schedule will feature virtually exclusive weekend dates at “Hockey Swonder.†The ‘Bolts 22-home performances will consist of 12-Friday night dates; 8-Saturday night games with 1-game each on Sunday afternoon at 3:30 pm and Thursday, December 1st at 11:00 am. All Friday and Saturday night home games will have an opening face-off of 7:00 pm.
In addition to the 22-official home dates, the Jr. ThunderBolts will be treating their growing legions of fans with four (4) “bonus†home ice dates at Swonder; all against their Midwest Division rivals, the Nashville Jr. Predators. Though officially designated as Nashville being listed as the “home†team, Evansville and Swonder Ice Arena will serve as the venue for each of these on-ice bouts. Those four dates are: Friday, October 28th, 7:00 pm; Friday, November 18th, 7:00 pm; Wednesday, January 4th, 11:00 am; Friday, February 10th, 7:00 pm.
Competing in the NA3HL Midwest Division for a second consecutive year, the Jr. ThunderBolts schedule will accentuate and promulgate proximate, geographically-centered rivalries. Evansville will battle such divisional delegates as the defending divisional titlists the St. Louis Jr. Blues 8-times; Nashville Jr. Predators 8-times; Cincinnati Thunder 8-times and the Peoria Mustangs 4-times. Also incorporated into the ‘Bolts schedule will be clashes set outside their own division against the likes of South Division adversaries the stripe of the Point Mallard Ducks (8-games) and Atlanta Capitals (4-games). A new opponent added to the Evansville game date book for ’16-17 is the Central Division Chicago Bulldogs. The ‘Bolts will battle the Bulldogs in 4-encounters. Three more members of the opposition will be inserted when Coach Cody’s crew competes in the NA3HL Annual Showcase Event.
The Jr. ThunderBolts schedule runs from September 16, 2016 to March 12, 2017. Should Evansville attain a coveted post-season playoff berth in the League’s Silver Cup Playoffs, those playoffs will ensue at the conclusion of the regular season.
THE JR. THUNDERBOLTS SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN:
BY TEAM:
ATLANTA CAPITALS 4-GAMES HOME: 2 AWAY: 2
CHICAGO BULLDOGS 4-GAMES HOME: 2 AWAY: 2
CINCINNATI THUNDER 8-GAMES HOME: 4 AWAY: 4
NASHVILLE JR. PREDATORS 8-GAMES HOME: 4 AWAY: 4* (games at Swonder)
PEORIA MUSTANGS 4-GAMES HOME: 2 AWAY: 2
POINT MALLARD DUCKS 8-GAMES HOME: 4 AWAY: 4
ST. LOUIS JR. BLUES 8-GAMES HOME: 4 AWAY: 4
NA3HL SHOWCASE EVENT 3-GAMES AWAY: 3* (Blaine, Minnesota)
BY DAYS OF WEEKâ€
WEDNESDAY 1-GAME AWAY: 1* (game at Swonder)
THURSDAY 1-GAME HOME: 1 AWAY:Â
FRIDAY Â Â Â Â Â Â 19-GAMES HOME: 12 AWAY: 7* (3-games at Swonder)
SATURDAY Â Â Â Â Â Â 17-GAMES HOME: 8 AWAY: 9
SUNDAY 6-GAMES HOME: 1 AWAY: 5
NA3HL SHOWCASE EVENT 3-GAMES AWAY: 3* (Blaine, Minnesota)
(Thurs.; Friday; Saturday)
BY MONTH:
September 4-games  (2-home/2-away) January 9-games (4-home/5-away)
October 8-games  (3-home/5-away) February 8-games (6-home/2-away)
November 6-games  (3-home/3-away) March 4-games (2-home/2-away)
December 8-games  (2-home/6-away)
