Indy hosts Allen to open three-game weekend

GAME PREVIEW: FUEL VS. AMERICANS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19 - 7:35 P.M.

INDIANA FARMERS COLISEUM, INDIANAPOLIS

TICKETS: TICKETMASTER, INDIANA FARMERS COLISEUM BOX OFFICE

BROADCAST INFO: 1070THEFAN.COM, ECHL.TV

The Story: Returning from the ECHL's brief All-Star Break, the Indy Fuel (14-17-2-1) kick off a three-game weekend Friday night as they welcome the Allen Americans (20-13-4-1) to Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The lone matchup between the Fuel and Americans this season is set for a 7:35 p.m. ET puck drop, tickets are still available through Ticketmaster or at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum box office.

Coming off of a few days of welcomed rest, Indy begins a three-in-three set with two straight tests on home ice. Following Friday's showdown with the Americans, the Fuel host the Cincinnati Cyclones on Saturday, before closing out the weekend Sunday afternoon in Kalamazoo.

Indy is coming off a two-game split with the Quad City Mallards last weekend at TaxSlayer Arena. After surrendering an early lead in a 5-3 loss on Jan. 12, the Fuel responded with a 4-3 victory Saturday, improving the club's record to 5-2-0-0 over its last seven games.

Making their first and only trip to Indianapolis this season, Allen enters the weekend in fourth place in the ultra-competitive Mountain Division with 45 points. The Americans have hit a bit of a rough patch since the turn of the calendar, dropping six of their last eight contests over the last three weeks.

After taking one of three from the Tulsa Oilers last week, Allen is working its way through Indiana this weekend - starting tonight at Indiana Farmers Coliseum and concluding with a Saturday-Sunday doubleheader in Fort Wayne.

Hey Now, You Were All-Stars: Though the Fuel have been off since Saturday, Monday was a busy day in Indianapolis with the 2018 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic taking place at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Fuel forward Michael Neal tallied a goal and an assist for the Central Division in their semifinal loss to the Mountain Division, while goaltender Étienne Marcoux stopped 14 of 16 shots for the North in a 3-1 loss to the South.

Aye Aye, Captain: On top of his All-Star status, Michael Neal (11g, 11a) has been churning out points for the Fuel as of late. Indy's captain has tallied points in four of his last five games (1g, 4a) and has produced at a point-per-game clip over his last 20 outings since Nov. 24 (10g, 10a). Overall this season, Neal leads the Fuel in point scoring (22) and goals (11).

Multi-Point Inspection: Fuel rookie forward Stephen Collins (1g, 8a) has tallied one goal and six assists in his last six outings ... Goaltender Étienne Marcoux leads all league rookies with a .929 save percentage ... Indy is 3-1-1-0 against the Mountain Division this season ... The Fuel penalty kill ranks fourth in the ECHL (86.6%)

Inside the Matchup: Friday is the lone meeting between the Fuel and Americans this season. Allen swept the six-game season series in 2016-17, with two of the victories coming from Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The last time these two teams crossed paths, the Americans held on for a 5-3 win in Indianapolis on March 12, 2017.

Scouting Report: Americans forward Casey Pierro-Zabotel (10g, 32a) leads the ECHL in points (42) and assists (32) ... All-Star defenseman David Makowski's (7g, 28a) 18 power play points is tied for the league lead, while his 15 assists with the extra man is more than any other ECHL blueliner ... Defenseman Eric Roy (10g, 11a) has tallied three goals and four assists over his last six games ... Allen has seven players who have recorded at least 20 points heading into Friday's game.

ECHL MEDIA KIT