THE ‘BOLTS “K-G-B†FORWARD LINE ON SCORING SCOURGE FOR EVANSVILLE SQUAD T-BOLTS NEXT ACTION DECEMBER 4TH AND DECEMBER 5TH AT POINT MALLARD DUCKS
LAST WEEK’S RESULTS: 2(0-2-0) 6-19 FRI. NOV. 20 ATLANTA 13 ‘BOLTS 1 SAT. NOV. 21 ATLANTA 6 AT ‘BOLTS 5
UPCOMING GAMES: (2) FRI. DEC. 4 AT POINT MALLARD 7:30 PM SAT. DEC. 4 AT POINT MALLARD 6:00 PM
NEXT HOME GAMES: FRI. JAN. 15 & SAT. JAN 16 VS. ST. LOUIS JR. BLUES 7:30 PM / SWONDER *** ALL THUNDERBOLTS GAMES ARE BROADCAST LIVE ON EVANSVILLE’S WVHI-AM 1330 ***
LIGHTNING BOLTS’ SHOTS: Having completed the first 18-games of their 2015-16 NA3HL schedule, the fledgling Evansville ThunderBolts will collectively take the holiday week of Thanksgiving to rest, relax and reflect. Under the astute and argute auspices of General Manager/Head Coach Scott Fankhouser, the ThunderBolts have reached their second week of hiatus following the conclusion of an extended four-game home stand which effectively capped their six-game November 2015 schedule. The State of Indiana’s only exclusive elite junior hockey club will not resume action until the first weekend of December when they open a two-game series in Decatur, Alabama where they will tackle the South Division front-running Point Mallard Ducks. The dates of those two clashes are set for Friday, December 4th and Saturday December 5th with both live radio broadcasts set to launch at 7:00 pm December 4th and 5:30 pm December 5th on Evansville’s WVHI-AM 1330 and on the world-wide internet at www.wvhi.com. The ThunderBolts next 11-games will be played on the road.
TALE OF TWO TEAMS ON TWO NIGHTS: The past weekend was witnessed to a tale of two teams on two nights, prompting the rhetorical question, “Will the real Evansville ThunderBolts please stand up.†Spending the weekend hosting and battling one of the most talented and gifted teams in the League in the form of the South Division Atlanta Capitals, the ‘Bolts bowed in game one on Friday night, 13-1, in a rather humbling episode before going to the wire 24-hours later in a 6-5 affair Saturday night also at Swonder Ice Arena. After sustaining their worst defeat of the campaign one night earlier, the T-Bolts rallied remarkably and resoundingly from 3-0 and 4-2 deficits Saturday eve to seize a short-lived 5-4 third period lead, their first-ever third period advantage, until Atlanta rallied late to escape with its 12th consecutive road win. Coach Fankhouser’s aggregation may have earned a better fate and destiny in the latter contest in suffering its fifth one-goal differentiating defeat of the inaugural campaign.
SCHEDULE SCANNING: With the holiday week of Thanksgiving being an idle week for the ThunderBolts, game activity does not resume for the hometown team until the first weekend of December when they sojourn to Decatur,
Alabama to test with the Point Mallard Ducks. The Evansville squadron will be fighting the good fight for their next 11-games in the hostile environment of foreign ice territory throughout the entire month of December. Included in the ‘Bolts travel manifest, in addition to their excursion to Point Mallard, will be alien ice warfare in Peoria as well as three games in three days December 16 – 19 when they play in the NA3HL’s Annual Showcase Event in Blaine, Minnesota. Their three opponents for the League-sanctioned games which do count in the overall standings will be the Lacrosse Freeze, Gillette Wild and the Minnesota Fighting Aces.
NEXT HOMESTEAD HOMESTAND: The ThunderBolts next home appearance at Swonder Ice Arena will not be until the weekend of January 15th and 16th when they rekindle animosities with the Midwest Division pace-setting St. Louis Jr. Blues. Opening face-off both nights will be 7:30 pm. There are 11-more home dates remaining on the ‘Bolts regular season slate with 5 of those dates set for Friday night with 6-more Saturday night dates still remaining.
THE “K-G-B†LINE LUSTY: The ThunderBolts top forward line comprised of Mike Kelley, Jon Grimm and Brandon Bornkamp has emerged as one of the truly pre-eminent, potent triumvirates in the NA3HL. In the past two- game weekend series against powerhouse Atlanta, the “K-G-B’s†accounted for all of the team’s half-dozen goals with Bornkamp triggering a “Trifecta†of snipes, Grimm collecting a pair and Kelley caging a singleton. For the weekend, the trending “troika†compiled a composite 15-points on 6-goals, 9-assists along with 3-PPG.
“JONNY B. GOOD:†ThunderBolts team captain Jon Grimm fashioned some sweet-sleek scoring stylings the past Saturday night. The talented left wing engineered a masterful 5-points’ performance on 2-goals, 3-assists in earning the Penn Station/ThunderBolts Star of the Game honors. His 5-points’ masterpiece represented the best single game offensive output by a ‘Bolts player thus far this season. Both of Grimm’s goals were cannonaded in the second stanza to fuse a remarkable 4-goal comeback powder keg which eradicated 3-0 and 4-2 deficits to forge a 4-4 tie. The local product from Newburgh attained the stellar status of his team’s top point-meister for the month of November with 6(5-5-10) with 3-PPG, 3-PPA, 1-FG and two 2-goal games.
THE CENTER OF SCORING: Snappy, snazzy center Brandon Bornkamp has developed into a model of scoring proficiency for his hockey club. The State of Indiana’s 2014-15 High School Scoring Champion continues to flash his flair as a natural born marksman. In the weekend set against Atlanta, the Fort Wayne native fired a trio of howitzers, collecting 5-points in all. After delivering his team’s lone strike on Friday night, the swift center-man adeptly and adroitly authored 4-points including a pair of goals the following night. His second goal at the 8:29 mark of the third period on the power play produced the ThunderBolts first-ever third period lead, climaxing a brilliant comeback counterattack crescendo as his team overcame a daunting deficits of 3-0 and 4-2 to seize a 5-4 lead. In his last 9-games, Bornkamp is 9(10-4-14); for November he was 6(7-2-9). His latest point streak has advanced to 4-games; 4(4-2-6). For the season, Bornkamp’s 16-goals rank tied for 4th most in the league; his 25- points have catapulted him among the top 20-scoring artisans in the loop.
BIRTHDAY BOY BRINGING IT: The ThunderBolts team’s youngest player, right wing Mike Kelley just turned 17 on Sunday. The first-year elite junior freshman opted for an earlier celebration with a sharp scoring demonstration, perhaps, a significant sneak-peak at his and the ‘Bolts bright future. Assisting on his club’s sole goal Friday night, the Fort Wayne product achieved his best single-game offensive output on Saturday night. Kelley was the architect of a dynamic 4-points performance which included the key GTG in the ThunderBolts stirring 4-goal come-from behind resurgence while also acting as the playmaker extraordinaire with 3-crafty assists. Presently enjoying a 3-game scoring streak with 3(2-4-6), Kelley was his team’s third top scoring sparkplug for November with 6(2-7-9) with 1-PPG and 3-PPA. In his last 7-games; 7(2-8-10).
AN ASSIST FOR THE DEFENSE: Premiere defenseman Triston Theriot continues to scale the heights of stardom with his steady, superb play on the ‘Bolts blue line. Offensively, the 6-0, 170lb major marquee mainstay has become a major spoke in the ‘Bolts wheel. Essaying a pair a masterful assists Saturday night, Evansville’s best point- producing blue line ace of the place has registered 6-assists through the last 6-games; 6(0-6-6) as his team’s fourth
leading point-maker for November. For the season, Theriot is 18(2-9-11) with 7 of those 11-points generated on the power play; (1-6-7).
EXTRA MAN MONEY: The ThunderBolts power play has been a major bright light of consistency and proficiency thus far this season. The past Saturday night the man advantage ensemble cast was kinetic, connecting three times, going 3-6. It was the first time ever that Evansville’s power play percolated three times in a single game, accomplishing the amazing feat against an Atlanta team which had grudgingly surrendered a minuscule 3-PPGA through 12-road assignments all season long, operating at a sparkling 94% efficiency clip. The ThunderBolts power play is 4 for the last 10; 40%; 7 for the last 23; 30.5%; 8 for the last 28; 28.6%. For the season, the PP has climbed to 13th in the NA3HL, operating at 19.5% proficiency; 15-77.
NOVEMBER NUMEROLOGY: All 7 of the ‘Bolts November PPG were delivered by Jon Grimm (3), Brandon Bornkamp (3) and Mike Kelley (1). Bornkamp (7), Grimm (5), Kelley (2) accounted for 14 of the ‘Bolts 16-GF in November. Brandon Rozema (1) and Mathieu LaForest (1) delivered the other two. Steven Rutherford (28), Billy Bonser (28), Brandon Bornkamp (24) topped the team in PIM for the month. Goaltender Adam Conkling started all 6-ThunderBolts games in November. Bryson Linenburg performed in one relief role.
MAKING A POINT: The ThunderBolts leading point-producers at the Thanksgiving break: 1- Brandon Bornkamp 18(16-9-25); 2- Jon Grimm 18(8-13-21); 3- Mike Kelley 13(4-9-13); 4- Triston Theriot 18(2-9-11); 5- Billy Bonser 15(5-4-9).
FEW FUN FAST FACTS FROM “FICâ€: ThunderBolts are 5(0-5-0) in 1-goal decisions with 4 of their last 9- games decided by a singleton. ‘Bolts 5-goal output Saturday night matched for the third time their best scoring offense of the season. Their 4-goal second period Saturday also equaled their best scoring stanza of the season. Defenseman Steven Rutherford’s 24-PIM Friday are a single game high for Evansville. The ‘Bolts have been outscored in the first period on home ice, 24-2 and 34-5 overall. They have scored only one first period goal at home since opening night, September 18th. On Saturday, when they entered the third period tied at 4-4, it marked the first time the ‘Bolts were not trailing after 40-minutes. The ‘Bolts first ever third period lead Saturday night at 5-4 endured for only 1:09 before Atlanta equalized it. Atlanta’s 67-SOG Friday are the second-most the ‘Bolts have allowed this season. Brandon Bornkamp has recorded 3-multi-goal games, including two 3-goal “hat tricks.†Jon Grimm has uncorked two 2-goal games. Grimm and Mike Kelley’s 3-assists Saturday are the most in one game this season.
THE THUNDERBOLTS RADIO UPDATE: ThunderBolts fans can stay up to date even when there is not a game. It’s “The ThunderBolts Hockey Update,†Monday through Friday at 5:00 pm on flagship radio home WVHI- AM 1330 and at 2:30 pm on WEOA-AM 1400 and WEOA-FM 98.5.
