Recap: Thunderbolts 3, Ice Flyers 2 – January 16, 2026
PENSACOLA, FLA. – The Ice Flyers hosted Country Night presented by Cat Country 98.7, facing off against the Evansville Thunderbolts in front of 4,427 fans on Friday evening.
The Ice Flyers had control of the game early. Tyler Burnie started the scoring just past the 15-minute mark of the first period, and Zack Jones followed shortly after, extending the lead to 2-0 heading into the 1st intermission.
However, Evansville put the pressure on the Ice Flyers in the second period. Connor Tait tallied their first goal, followed by Joey Berkopec later in the 2nd to tie things up heading into the final frame.
Both teams fought in the 3rd period, with Evansville putting 11 shots on goal and Pensacola putting 8, but neither team scored, sending them to overtime. Overtime remained scoreless, so the teams went to a shootout.
Evansville’s Scott Kirton scored first in the shootout. The Ice Flyers missed their first three attempts, while Billy Girard IV stopped both of Evansville’s 2nd and 3rd attempts. Myles Abbette scored again for the Thunderbolts on their fourth attempt. Sam Rhodes cut the lead. Evansville’s final attempt saw Tyson Gilmour lose his footing, giving the crowd a sense of momentum shift. However, Zack Jones was thwarted on the Ice Flyers’ final shot.
Both teams will see each other again tomorrow night in front of a soon-to-be sold-out crowd for Wiener Dog Race Night.
Fans can bid on autographed goal pucks from tonight on DASH.
Scoring Summary
First Period
EVV 0, PEN 1
15:50 Tyler Burnie (2) – Moran, C. Jones
EVV 0, PEN 2
16:38 Z. Jones (4) – Bronte
Shots on goal: EVV 11, PEN 10
Second Period
EVV 1, PEN 2
07:41 Connor Tait – Laaksonen, Van Der Veen
EVV 2, PEN 2
17:11 Joey Berkopec – Abbate
Shots on goal: EVV 10, PEN 12
Third Period
No scoring.
Shots on goal: EVV 11, PEN 9
Overtime
No scoring.
Shots on goal: EVV 3, PEN 1
Shootout
Evansville Thunderbolts
Scott Kirton – Yes
Keanan Stewart – No
Jordan Simoneau – No
Myles Abbate – Yes
Tyson Gilmour – No
Pensacola Ice Flyers Mike Moran – No
Shane Bull – No
Tyrone Bronte – No
Sam Rhodes – Yes
Zack Jones – No
Total shots on goal: EVV 35, PEN 32
