Behind outstanding goaltending from Cole Ceci and two clutch goals from Vili Vesalainen, the Thunderbolts secured a 2-1 win over the Pensacola Ice Flyers in front of over 4,100 fans at Ford Center on Friday night. The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Saturday, January 25th against the Pensacola Ice Flyers at 7:05pm CT.
The first period featured no goals or power plays, but did feature a solid middleweight fight at center ice between Evansville’s Bronson Adams and Pensacola’s Sam Dabrowski. The Thunderbolts did put the puck in the net late in the period as Vesalainen stormed the crease, however the goal was waived off due to incidental contact with Pensacola goaltender Brody Claeys. Vesalainen found the back of the net once again in the second period, with a power play goal from Matthew Hobbs at 3:01 to put Evansville ahead officially, 1-0. Despite facing a barrage of 15 shots on goal and several high quality opportunities in the second period, Ceci continued to stand tall to keep Pensacola at bay. 4:16 into the third period, Vesalainen struck again to extend the Thunderbolts lead to 2-0, tucking the puck around Claeys and inside the post, assisted by Nolan McElhaney and Cameron MacPhee. With only 2 seconds remaining, Houston Wilson scored for Pensacola to spoil Ceci’s shutout, resulting in a 2-1 final, a victory regardless.
Vesalainen scored both Evansville goals while Cole Ceci finished with 37 saves on 38 shots on goal for his 8th win of the season. The Thunderbolts and Ice Flyers meet again on Saturday, January 25th at Ford Center, face-off set for 7:05pm CT.
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.com) for details.
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