Thunderbolts Finish the Climb
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The Ford Center erupted in celebration Thursday night as Aidan Litke called game just 90 seconds into overtime, sealing a 2-1 win and completing the Thunderbolts’ sweep of the Knoxville Ice Bears. With that golden goal, Evansville secured its first-ever President’s Cup Championship and capped off one of the most dominant playoff runs in SPHL history.
From an overtime loss in Huntsville to an unbeaten streak through the rest of the playoffs, the Thunderbolts never looked back. Their final victory was gritty, decisive, and poetic—ending a storybook run in front of their home fans.
From Underdogs to Unstoppable
Evansville opened the scoring late in the first with a Logan vande Meerakker power play strike, assisted by Nolan McElhaney, setting the tone for a tense, low-scoring affair. Knoxville didn’t go quietly—Brendan Dowler evened it up early in the third—but overtime belonged to Evansville.
Litke’s winner came off a picture-perfect setup from Ethan Price and captain Matthew Hobbs, snapping the puck over the shoulder of Knoxville goalie Stephen Mundinger to end it all in dramatic fashion.
And at the heart of it was Cole Ceci, the MVP-caliber goaltender who finished the postseason with a staggering .962 save percentage, going the distance in every single playoff game. With 29 saves on 30 shots in the finale, he was the steady backbone of the Thunderbolts' championship push.
A Historic Finish
Evansville’s final playoff record: 6-0-1, unbeaten since Game 1 of Round One. Their six-game win streak was the team’s longest since 2019-20—and it came when it mattered most.
From key performances to clutch goaltending, every piece of the puzzle fell into place. For a franchise that had never lifted the Cup before, this wasn’t just a win. It was a statement.
