In the last two minutes of the 2026 SPHL Presidents Cup final game between the Evansville Thunderbolts and the Peoria, Illinois, Rivermen, the Bolts led 5-4, but it still was anyone’s game. After second-year forward Derek Contessa scored to give Evansville a two-goal lead, the final seconds counted down, then helmets slid across the ice at the Peoria Civic Center’s Carver Arena as the Bolts celebrated their second straight championship in front of a crowd that included 200-300 who made the journey from Evansville. Last year was the Bolts’ first SPHL President’s Cup win in the team’s eight-year history, clinched during a final game against the Ice Bears of Knoxville, Tennessee.
“To win two championships back-to-back… It’s so hard to do. And if I could bottle it and sell it, I’d be a millionaire right now for any pro sports anywhere in the world,” Thunderbolts head coach Jeff Bes says.
Even more impressive was that the Bolts came back after losing the first two games to the Rivermen in Peoria: Game 1 in overtime, 2-1, and a decisive 5-1 defeat in Game 2. Team captain and forward Matt Hobbs, a Thunderbolt since 2022, knew the team had to step up.
“Peoria didn’t get to see Thunderbolts Hockey; we played soft. We knew we had to top their physicality,” he says.
Facing the 2-0 deficit in the series, the Bolts rallied on their home ice, taking Game 3 by a 2-1 score and notching a 4-1 win in Game 4. “Our team’s big on momentum, and we got a taste of what it could be … We ran on that energy,” Hobbs adds.
Back in Peoria for the decisive Game 5, the Bolts, used to hearing jeers and boos at any away game, were instead met with enthusiastic cheers during their warmup. Players say it made the difference.
“It felt like a home game on (Peoria’s) ice, which was the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of,” says forward Tyson Gilmour, who scored a goal in Game 4.
“It was the first time in Peoria that I heard some positive things. Our crowd was loud and our fans … were our sixth person on the ice,” Hobbs says.
The Rivermen scored within the first seven minutes, but the Bolts immediately answered with a goal of their own 39 seconds later. It was a 5-2 lead for the Bolts by the second period, but the Rivermen pulled within 5-4. It all came down to those last two minutes, that goal by Contessa, and the cup was “back where it belongs,” as forward and assistant coach Scott Kirton put it.
“We put ourselves in a bit of a hole (after the first two games), but we battled back. It feels amazing, having climbed out of that hole, and to do it again (and) see the looks on the faces of some of the new guys. It’s pretty special,” Kirton, who scored a goal and made an assist during the last game, says.
Even after holding the cup, players say what they accomplished still had not sunk in. While they would have preferred to win for a home crowd, there was a special touch to winning at another team’s home rink.
“I’d say this year is a lot more special because last year, everyone said it was a fluke,” says Hobbs, who scored one goal and made two assists during that final game. “So I think this year there was a lot on the line for us and to prove to everybody that we earned it last year, earned it again this year … I’m really just proud to show that it wasn’t a fluke because I heard that all last year and all over the summer, so we proved to everybody that this trophy’s ours.”
The Evansville Thunderbolts are the fourth team in SPHL history to win back-to-back President’s Cup titles.
“That was one thing we said — we don’t want it to leave Evansville. We’re proud and have a really strong group of guys that just wanted to bring it back,” Kirton says.
“When the playoffs start, our team really shows up because we’ve got guys that just refuse to lose … I still can’t believe that we won twice in a row. It’s still hitting me right now,” Gilmour says.
