Thunderbirds drop road game to Rock Lobsters

ATHENS, GA. – The Twin City Thunderbirds dropped a road game to the Athens Rock Lobsters by a final score of 4-2 Sunday evening at Akins Ford Arena. Jan Salak and Zach White each scored a goal during the matchup for Twin City. The Thunderbirds will return to action next weekend with three consecutive road games against the Baton Rouge Zydeco.  


Jan Salak netted his sixteenth goal of the season at 10:15 of Sunday’s opening period to give the Thunderbirds a one-goal lead in the matchup. The goal was scored even-strength, and was assisted by Nate Keeley and Jon Buttitta. Twin City was outshot by a 12-10 margin during the 1st period, and carried a 1-0 lead into Sunday’s 2nd period.


Zach White scored Twin City’s third shorthanded goal of the 2025-2026 season at 13:31 of Sunday’s middle period to give the Thunderbirds a 2-0 lead in the battle. White’s goal was his twenty-first of the season. Athens netted two goals in the final five minutes of Sunday’s 2nd period to tie the game at 2-2. Filip Virgili scored an even-strength goal at 15:38 of the 2nd period to cut Twin City’s lead in half. Virgili’s scoring play was assisted by Kayson Gallant and Carter Shinkaruk. Jack Johansen scored the game-tying goal with less than one minute to play in the 2nd period. The Thunderbirds were outshot by an 18-5 margin in the 2nd period, and Sunday’s 3rd period began in a 2-2 tie.


Gleb Bandurkin netted two goals in the 3rd period to give Athens a two-goal victory. Bandurkin’s first goal was scored at 4:02 of the final period. Devyn Mayea and Daniil Glukharev each collected an assist on the scoring play. Bandurkin’s second goal of the 3rd period was scored at 10:57. Luke Croucher and Devyn Mayea each notched an assist on the goal. Twin City was outshot by a 16-11 margin in the 3rd period, and 46-26 overall during Sunday’s contest.


Boris Babik dropped the game in net for the Thunderbirds in a 42-save-on-46-shot effort. Carter McPhail won the game in goal for the Rock Lobsters in a 24-save-on-26-shot performance. Twin City dropped to 18-22-1 on the 2025-2026 season in the road loss.


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