Storm’s Emotions Boil Over in 4–1 Loss to Evansville

Despite late efforts, the Quad City Storm dropped Saturday night’s matchup against the Evansville Thunderbolts, falling 4–1 in a game that was fueled by emotion from start to finish.

Coming off the way Friday night’s contest both started and ended, this game had a playoff-like edge early on. Big hits, post-whistle scrums, and several fights set the tone in what was a chippy, physical battle from puck drop.

The opening period started slow on the scoreboard but not in intensity. At the 14:49 mark of the first, Leif Mattson was whistled for high sticking, giving Evansville an early power-play opportunity. While the Storm killed it off, Evansville eventually broke through late in the period. With just 1:03 remaining, Myles Abbate scored at 18:57 to give the Thunderbolts a 1–0 lead heading into the intermission.

Tensions continued to rise as Nick McHugh (Storm) and Connor Federkow (Thunderbolts) were both sent off for roughing with 30 seconds left in the first period, a fitting end to an already heated frame.

Evansville extended their lead early in the second period. Just after Jordan Simoneau took the Thunderbolts’ second penalty of the night for hooking, Scott Kirton struck at 3:38 to make it 2–0 Evansville. Momentum continued to swing against the Storm as emotions boiled over again at the 7:56 mark. Divyne Apollon became the center of chaos after Evansville’s Gilmour grabbed and refused to release his stick, leading to a pileup involving both teams. Apollon and Noah Massie were sent to the box for the Storm, while Federkow went for Evansville. After that sequence, things settled down for the remainder of the period.

The third period presented the Storm with a golden opportunity. Quad City opened the frame with a four-minute power play, a chance to climb back into the game. Unfortunately, the Storm couldn’t capitalize, and the missed opportunity proved costly. Instead, it was Evansville’s Matt Clark who found the back of the net, pushing the Thunderbolts’ lead to 3–0.

The Storm received another power-play chance at 7:56 of the third when Derek Contessa was penalized, but once again, they were unable to convert. The frustration continued to build, and at 11:25, things unraveled. After ongoing chippiness from both sides, Toporowski shoved an official, earning himself a game misconduct and leaving the Storm in a hole they couldn’t climb out of.

Evansville sealed the game at 17:44 when Scott Kirton scored an empty-net goal to make it 4–0. Quad City avoided the shutout late, as Savva Smirnov scored on the power play at 18:52, assisted by Nathan Berke and Devin Sanders. That would be the final tally as the Storm fell 4–1.

Throughout the night, it felt like the Storm struggled to get organized, missing plays and looking lost at times as emotions got the better of them. While the loss stings, there was a bit of scoreboard relief elsewhere. Fayetteville also dropped their game to the Peoria Rivermen, allowing the Storm to remain in 7th place. Fayetteville plays today, giving them a chance to reclaim that spot, while the Storm won’t return to action until the 31st.

Looking ahead, Quad City will face a familiar rival when they take on the Peoria Rivermen next Wednesday. The Storm’s recent history against Peoria hasn’t been kind, with the Rivermen winning five of the last six matchups and outscoring Quad City 23–11. However, the Storm have turned things around over the past month, going 6-3-1 in their last 10 games — which accounts for the majority of their wins this season.

If that recent momentum holds, expect the Storm to bring a tougher, more composed fight when they hit the ice against Peoria.