The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team.
For the second-straight season, the Thunderbolts broke their single-game attendance record for this year’s Education Day game, welcoming 7,758 fans to Ford Center on Tuesday morning, putting on an exciting show of a game and making the day a net positive despite falling 5-2 to the Peoria Rivermen. The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Friday, November 1st against the Huntsville Havoc at 7:00pm CT.
The Thunderbolts broke through first as Tyson Gilmour snuck a shot into the net from Vili Vesalainen and Derek Contesa at 16:43 of the first period to give Evansville a 1-0 lead after one period. Peoria struck with two quick goals in the second period, as Mike Gelatt scored at 5:03 and Tyler Kobryn at 8:20 to give Peoria a 2-1 lead. Evansville rallied to tie the game once again at 2-2, as Brendan Harrogate scored from Scott Kirton and Grayson Valente at 10:47, before the Rivermen retook the lead at 13:37 on a goal from Alex Koopmeiners to make it 3-2 Peoria. The Thunderbolts threatened to tie again in the third period, but could not find a third goal, while Peoria added two late goals from Gelatt and Josh Martin to put the relatively-close game out of reach near the very end.
Gilmour and Harrogate scored Evansville’s goals, while Cole Ceci finished with 28 saves on 33 shots. The Thunderbolts and Rivermen meet once again on Friday, November 8th at Peoria Civic Center.