VANDE MEERAKKER’S LATE GOAL LEADS THUNDERBOLTS OVER HAVOC 4-3
Evansville, In.: After a late two-goal lead slipped away from Evansville, the Thunderbolts bent but did not break as they scored in the final minutes of regulation to defeat the Havoc 4-3 on Sunday afternoon at Ford Center. The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Saturday, March 22nd against the Quad City Storm at 7:05pm CT.
Only 3:56 into the game, Aidan Litke opened the scoring for Evansville on a nice move to the inside from Scott Kirton and Cameron MacPhee to make it 1-0. At 14:17, Huntsville responded as Phil Elgstam scored on the rush to tie the game, before Evansville grabbed the lead back only 37 seconds later, as Benjamin Lindberg scored off a face-off win from Tyson Gilmour to give Evansville the 2-1 lead at 14:54. Following a scoreless second period, Myles Abbate scored unassisted on a breakaway 9:33 into the third period to give Evansville some insurance with a 3-1 lead. Huntsville stormed back however, as Elgstam scored off a broken play at 11:53, followed by Sam Ruffin on a power play just over a minute later at 13:16 to tie the game 3-3. Weathering the late pressure from the Havoc, Evansville gained a late 4-3 lead with 2:10 remaining in the third period as Logan vande Meerakker finished a net-front scramble from Gilmour and Kirton, the lead holding following a late push from Huntsville with Havoc goaltender Mike Robinson pulled for the extra attacker.
Vande Meerakker scored the game-winning goal, while Lindberg, Litke, and Abbate each finished with one goal apiece. Gilmour and Kirton each tallied a pair of assists, while Cole Ceci finished with 22 saves on 25 shots on goal for his 16th win of the season and his 29th as a Thunderbolt, which ties the franchise all-time wins record held by Brian Billett. The Thunderbolts and Havoc meet again on Friday, March 28th at Von Braun Center. Sunday’s win was Evansville’s 22nd of the season, increasing Evansville’s standings points to 50 as the Thunderbolts are now tied for 5th place and only one point out of 4th place. Evansville now only needs a maximum of 9 points out of 18 possible remaining points to clinch a playoff spot.
Individual game tickets and group packages are on sale for the 2024-25 season. Season tickets for the 2025-26 season are on sale now. Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.
About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL. The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com
