Thunderbirds drop home game to Wolves

WINSTON-SALEM, NC. – The Twin City Thunderbirds dropped a home game to the Watertown Wolves by a final score of 3-2 Saturday night at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena. Nate Keeley and Gus Ford each scored a goal for Twin City in the loss. The Thunderbirds return to action tomorrow afternoon in a road game against the Athens Rock Lobsters. Puck drop for tomorrow’s final game of the weekend is scheduled for 4:05pm ET.


Nate Keeley netted the only goal of Saturday’s opening period to give Twin City a 1-0 advantage in the matchup. Keeley’s goal was his fourth of the season, and was scored at 11:45 of the opening period. Jon Buttitta and Corey Cunningham each collected an assist on the scoring play. Twin City outshot Watertown by an 18-13 margin during the 1st period of Saturday night’s showdown.


The only goal of Saturday’s 2nd period was netted by Darion Benchich. The goal was scored on the powerplay at 10:08 of the period, and was assisted by Hunter Hall and Matthew Gordon. The Thunderbirds outshot the Wolves by a 15-8 margin during the 2nd period, and Saturday’s 3rd period began in a 1-1 tie.


Gus Ford gave Twin City the lead just over one minute into Saturday’s final period. Ford’s goal was netted on the powerplay at 1:19 of the 3rd period, and was his team-leading 27th of the season. Connor Craig and Jon Buttitta each collected an assist on the scoring play. Egor Filippov tied the game with a goal at 6:40 of the period. Adam Zimmerman recorded an assist on the goal. The final goal of Saturday’s contest was scored by Quinn Chevers on the powerplay. Ian McDonald and Vladimir Fadeev each collected an assist on the scoring play. Twin City lifted Boris Babik for an extra attacker in the final minutes of the game, but the Thunderbirds were unable to score the game-tying goal. Twin City outshot Watertown 20-9 in the 3rd period, and 53-30 overall during the matchup.


Boris Babik dropped the game in net for Twin City in a 27-save-on-30-shot effort. Ricardo Gonzalez won the game in goal for Watertown by making 51 saves on 53 shots during the matchup.


The Thunderbirds dropped to 18-21-1 in the loss. Saturday’s game was played in front of a season-high 3,149 fans at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena.


The Thunderbirds will return to action tomorrow afternoon in a road game at Akins Ford Arena in Athens, Georgia, against the Athens Rock Lobsters. Sunday’s road game is set to begin at 4:05pm ET, and will be streamed live on YouTube, Facebook, and WTOB Radio.


Twin City is currently offering a special ticket through FEVO to celebrate the historic double gold sweep in Milano Cortino for the United States Men’s and Women’s Hockey Teams. Three tiers of pricing (Gold, Silver, Bronze) are available through this special. The Gold Tier includes two blue section tickets for $46, a nod to the United States’ Men’s team winning Gold at the Olympics for the first time in forty-six years. Silver Tier pricing includes two red section tickets for $33 in honor of United States Women’s Captain Hillary Knight’s team record of thirty-three points recorded in the Olympics. The Bronze Tier includes two white section tickets for $20.26, a nod to this year’s historic performance by each United States hockey team in the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. https://www.gofevo.com/event/Olympicdiscount23


Thunderbirds’ Family 4 Packs are designed to deliver an exciting and affordable night of Thunderbirds hockey. Three themed package options (Red, Black, White) are available as part of this special promotion. The Red Pack includes four glow sticks and four White Section tickets for $64, creating a high-energy game night atmosphere for the whole family. The Black Pack features four pucks along with four White Section tickets for $80, perfect for fans looking to take home a unique piece of the action. The White Pack includes four Thunderbirds t-shirts and four White Section tickets for $88, allowing families to gear up and show their team pride together. Fans interested in purchasing a Family 4 Pack can contact Vice President of Business Operations Joe Cangelosi by phone at (336) 413-3794, or by email at jcangelosi@tcbirds.com, to secure their package and enjoy a memorable night at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena!


Tickets to home games at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena may be purchased online by visiting WSFairgrounds.com, Ticketmaster.com, or by calling the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena Box Office at (336) 727-2236. The Thunderbirds are proud members of the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL). #FlockTogether