HUNTSVILLE – Coming off a split road trip in Illinois, the Huntsville Havoc are getting ready for another pair of road contests this weekend in Evansville and Birmingham. The Huntsville Havoc (7-7-1) will first travel to the Hoosier state to face the Evansville Thunderbolts (3-13-1) on Friday night before heading back down I-65 to play in-state rivals, Birmingham Bulls (15-2-0) on Saturday.

Weekend Recap: Saturday Night vs. Quad City Storm

The Havoc started the game off quickly in a delayed game due to ice conditions against the Storm, with John Schiavo scoring a goal on a pass by Sy Nutkevitch only 57 seconds into the first period. Two minutes later, Ryan Salkeld put a puck past the Storm’s goaltender, assisted by Connor Schmidt and Kyle Sharkey. Neither team would find the net for the remainder of the period, closing the first first period with a 2-0 Havoc lead.

Despite the fast start, the Havoc would not score again in regulation time. The Storm scored the only goal of the second period, cutting the Havoc lead in half. Colton Wolter was sent to the penalty box on a hooking call as the second period closed, putting the Storm on the power play to start third period. Sporting the league’s best power play (25.86%), Quad City scored on the man advantage to tie the game.

The third period ended without another score, requiring a shootout to resolve the tie. Havoc center, Christian Powers, slipped the only shootout goal made past the Storm goalie to lead the team to victory.

Blanking the Storm on five shootout attempts and netting 30 saves total, Havoc rookie goalie, Max Milosek, earned the first star of the game designation.

Sunday night vs. Peoria Rivermen

The Havoc struggled offensively against the Rivermen on Sunday afternoon, being held scoreless for the entire 60 minute contest. The 3-0 defeat was the first shutout suffered by the Havoc since 2016.

Peoria scored their first goal on a power play early in the first period when Pat Condon was sent to the box for tripping. The Havoc held the Rivermen to one goal until the second period, when the Rivermen scored a again with a goal on a redirected shot which slipped past Havoc goaltender, Mike DeLaVergne. At the end of the third, the Havoc pulled DeLaVergne for an extra attacker, but before DeLaVergne could get off the ice, the Rivermen took possession of the puck and scored an empty-netter. The Havoc landed just 10 shots on goal over the course of the game.

Read each of the full game stories here.

Scouting the Evansville Thunderbolts

The Thunderbolts are off to a difficult start this season, falling to last place in the SPHL standings. The Thunderbolts also recently faced the Rivermen, losing 5-1. Evansville has struggled on the power play this season, currently ranking last in the SPHL, with a 10.45% success rate. The Thunderbolts’ three wins the season came against the Knoxville Ice Bears, Fayetteville and Quad City. The Havoc played the Thunderbolts in their second game of the season, resulting in a 6-3 win for the Havoc.

Scouting the Birmingham Bulls

The Birmingham Bulls have been dominant in the SPHL this year with only two losses this season. Their two defeats came at the hands of the Macon Mayhem and Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs. The Bulls rank second in the SPHL in power play percentage, goals against and goals per game. The Havoc can expect another challenging game from their in-state rivals. The last time the Havoc and Bulls met was in Birmingham, where the Havoc lost 6-2.

By the Numbers

Sy Nutkevitch and Ryan Salkeld are tied for the most points for the Havoc with 13 points each. Nutkevitch leads the team in assists (10), followed by Kyle Sharkey and Alec Brandrup with seven each. Salked currently has seven goals for the Havoc, the most on the team, with Christian Powers and Connor Schmidt right behind him at five goals a piece.

Weiner Dog Christmas

The Havoc return to the Von Braun Center on Dec. 22, to play
Evansville, but there will be a major attraction during the intermissions. It will be our first Weiner Dog Christmas. Register your dachshund on the Havoc app or website and you can race them on the ice for a chance to win valuable prizes.

Havoc App

Stay up to date on the latest news and notes on the Huntsville Havoc
by downloading the official Havoc app for iOS or Android here. You can earn
Havoc Rewards points for unforgettable in-game experiences and great Havoc swag.

2018-19 Promo Nights

The Huntsville Havoc have released the list of promotions for all 28
regular season home games in the 2018-19 season, including some new themes and
fan favorites. See the full promotional schedule here.

Sync Your Calendar

Click here to sync your calendar with the 2018-19 home schedule