Pensacola, Fla.:  Despite putting 32 shots on goal and scoring the opening goal, the Thunderbolts were held to just one goal by goaltender Brad Arvanitis and the Pensacola Ice Flyers in a 3-1 loss on Saturday at Pensacola Bay Center.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Saturday, April 1st  against the Knoxville Ice Bears at 7:00pm CT.  For tickets, call (812)422-BOLT (2658), go to EvansvilleThunderbolts.com, or visit the Ford Center Ticket Office.
Matt Dorsey scored for the Thunderbolts, his first professional goal, to give the Thunderbolts a 1-0 lead from Conner Jean and Jeremy Masella on the power play only 7:57 into the first period.  Pensacola’s Lucas Herrmann scored in response at 14:59 to tie the game back up at 1-1, a score which remained unchanged until halfway through the third period.  Sean Gulka scored on the power play to give Pensacola their first lead, 2-1 at the 9:52 mark.  The Thunderbolts offense pressed yet could not gain the tying goal, and with the Evansville net empty it was Garrett Milan who scored the empty net goal to seal the 3-1 Pensacola victory in the final seconds.
Dorsey scored Evansville’s lone goal, while Trevor Gorsuch stopped 25 of 27 shots.  With Roanoke gaining a point in a shootout loss, and with Knoxville’s win tonight, the Thunderbolts drop to 5th place in the SPHL standings, at which a finish in 4th place or higher would secure home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs next month.  The Thunderbolts and Ice Flyers meet again on Sunday, March 26th at Pensacola Bay Center.
