Fuel and Komets meet up Friday night in Indianapolis

FANIMATION GAME PREVIEW: FUEL VS. KOMETS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11 - 7:35 P.M.

INDIANA FARMERS COLISEUM, INDIANAPOLIS

TICKETS: TICKETMASTER, INDIANA FARMERS COLISEUM BOX OFFICE

BROADCAST INFO: INDYFUELHOCKEY.COM, ECHL.TV

THE MATCHUP: The Indy Fuel (19-16-0-0) begin another three-game weekend set Friday night as they host the Fort Wayne Komets (19-14-0-1) at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The clash between Hoosier State rivals highlights Netflix Night in Indianapolis, with special guest Leslie David Baker in attendance. Tickets still remain through Ticketmaster or the Indiana Farmers Coliseum box office.

Starting their week with a win over the Kansas City Mavericks on Tuesday night, the Fuel return to Central Division play with a critical matchup against Fort Wayne. Indy enters Friday's contest just one point behind the Komets in the ECHL's Central Division standings, and could reclaim third place in the division with a regulation win.

Friday marks the third of five meetings between the in-state rivals in the month of January, with Fort Wayne taking a pair of victories last week. The Komets won 4-1 last Thursday in the Circle City, before edging the Fuel 3-2 Saturday in Allen County. Indy holds a 1-4-0-0 overall record against Fort Wayne this season, with the club's lone victory coming on the road on Dec. 8.

LAST TIME OUT: The Fuel started a busy four-game slate in Week 14 with a decisive 4-2 victory over Kansas City on Tuesday at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Indy scored two goals in the first period and twice more in the third to build a 4-0 lead, before the Mavericks finally broke through with two quick goals in the waning moments of regulation time. Quentin Shore (1g, 2a) and Radovan Bondra (3a) each tallied three points, while goaltender Matt Tomkins was brilliant between the pipes with 36 saves. Josh Shalla (1g, 1a), Brett Welychka and Mathew Thompson also found the net for Indy, which improved to 14-6-0-0 this season on home ice.

ANOTHER LONG WEEKEND: After enjoying two days of rest following Tuesday's win, the Fuel face another tough 3-in-3 tripleheader - starting Friday against the Komets before continuing with a Saturday-Sunday set in West Virginia against the Wheeling Nailers. In the middle of a busy post-holiday stretch that sees them play 11 games in 18 days from Dec. 27 to Feb. 13, Indy is in their third of five consecutive weekends featuring three games in three days.

IACOPELLI RETURNS: The Fuel offensive corps received a boost Thursday as the Chicago Blackhawks reassigned forward Matheson Iacopelli to Indy from the AHL's Rockford IceHogs. Iacopelli was a point-a-game player during 10 games with the Fuel last season, logging nine goals and one assist, before an injury kept him off the team's postseason roster. In 25 games with Rockford this season, the Blackhawks' third round pick in 2014 has two goals and two assists.

OTHER NOTABLES: Indy's 14 home wins is tied for the second most in the ECHL, trailing only the Jacksonville IceMen (15) ... Forward Brett Welychka has scored goals in three straight games ... Fuel goaltender Matt Tomkins is 10-3-0-0 over his last 13 starts, leading all ECHL netminders with 15 wins on the season ... Fort Wayne goaltender Zachary Fucale was recalled by the AHL's Chicago Wolves on Wednesday.

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