Indy Fuel Pit Stop – Week 19 (Feb. 11-17, 2019)

INDY FUEL WEEK 19 RESULTS: 2-1-0-0, 25-24-2-1 Overall, 6th Central Division

Wednesday, February 13 - Fuel 0 at Cincinnati 5: Indy dropped their fifth straight contest on Wednesday as the Western Conference-leading Cincinnati Cyclones defeated the Fuel by a 5-0 count at U.S. Bank Arena. Goaltender Jonas Johansson made 30 saves to register his third shutout of the season, while five different skaters found the net by the halfway point of the second period to help the Cyclones take control of the contest. Fuel goaltender Gordon Defiel turned in a strong performance in relief of starter Matt Tomkins, stopping all 17 shots he faced after entering the game in the middle frame.

Saturday, February 16 - Fuel 5 at Wichita 0: Gordon Defiel stopped 31 shots for his first ECHL shutout, while Quentin Shore recorded a natural hat trick to help Indy defeat Wichita 5-0 on Saturday. Shore scored three consecutive goals in the second period to stretch a 1-0 lead to a four-goal cushion, and Ryan Rupert tallied goals in both the first and third periods to help the Fuel pick up their first regulation win since Jan. 26. Logan Nelson added a pair of assists for Indy, which also ended a four-game road losing streak.

Sunday, February 17 - Fuel 7 at Wichita 5: Led by a career night from Ryan Rupert, the Fuel completed a two-game sweep at INTRUST Bank Arena with a 7-5 win over the Thunder on Sunday night. Rupert recorded three goals and two assists, helping Indy build a 6-2 lead after two periods - which was just enough to withstand a third period rally from Wichita. Forward Woody Hudson tallied three assists, Radovan Bondra scored a pair of goals, while Matt Rupert chipped in a goal and an assist to help drive the Fuel's big offensive night. Goaltender Matt Tomkins turned aside 32 shots to record his 20th victory of the season.

INDY FUEL WEEK 20 SCHEDULE:

Tuesday, February 19 - Fuel vs. Wichita (10:30 a.m. ET, Indiana Farmers Coliseum):

EDUCATION DAY GAME presented by Marian University Indianapolis - This one is for the kids! The Fuel partner up with local school districts to welcome thousands of students to Indiana Farmers Coliseum for the best field trip ever! Fuel Season Ticket Plan holders who can't play hooky from work can exchange their tickets for any other available home game by contacting their ticket representative.

Saturday, February 23 - Fuel vs. Wichita (6:05 p.m. ET, Indiana Farmers Coliseum)

WIZARD NIGHT presented by Quaff On! Brewing Company and Hard Truth Distillery - Grab your wand and get ready for a magical evening as the Fuel take on the Wichita Thunder. Come dressed in your wizard best, visit photo stations around the concourse, and much more. Visit the Fuel booth behind Section 206 and enter to win our Wizard Night prize drawing - one lucky fan will win a trip to Orlando!

OIL DROPS:

-The Fuel ended a season-long five-game road trip with two straight wins in Wichita over the weekend.

-Indy finished the five-game road swing with a 2-3-0-0 record, and is 9-17-1-0 this season through 27 games away from Central Indiana this season.

-Four of the Fuel's next six games take place at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

-Despite finding themselves in sixth place in the Central Division standings, Indy is only one point behind the Wheeling Nailers and Fort Wayne Komets for possession of fourth place, and two points behind the third-place Kalamazoo Wings.

-The Fuel have recorded power play goals in five of their last seven games, scoring seven goals on 21 opportunities over that span (33.3%).

-Overall this season, Indy's power play is ranked seventh in the ECHL at 19.0% (41-for-216).

-Over their two wins in Wichita over the weekend, the Fuel outscored the Thunder by a 6-1 margin in the second period.

-Gordon Defiel stopped 31 shots Saturday to record his first ECHL shutout, becoming the second Fuel goaltender to earn a shutout this season (Matt Tomkins).

-Defiel is currently on a shutout streak of 102:48, which includes his relief appearance Wednesday in Cincinnati and the third period of Indy's loss in Toledo on Feb. 9.

-Ryan Rupert tied a Fuel franchise record with five points Sunday in Wichita, picking up his first professional hat trick along with two assists.

-With 19 goals and 30 assists in 52 games, Rupert is tied for 11th in ECHL scoring and is one point away from being the first Fuel player to reach the 50-point plateau this season.

-Rupert's next point will make him only the fifth player in franchise history to record at least 50 points in a Fuel uniform in a single season. Rupert is six points away from tying Alex Wideman's club record of 55 points set back in 2016-17.

-Indy set a new franchise record Sunday for the fastest two goals scored, when Matt Rupert and Radovan Bondra each found the net in a span of nine seconds in the first period.

-The line combination of Ryan Rupert (3g, 2a), Woody Hudson (3a) and Matt Rupert (1g, 1a) combined for 10 points and a +10 rating in Sunday's win over the Thunder.

-In two games following his trade from the Worcester Railers, Woody Hudson has tallied five assists and has a +5 rating.

-With 32 saves Sunday, Matt Tomkins became the first ECHL goaltender this season to reach 20 wins. Tomkins is two wins short from tying Étienne Marcoux's single-season franchise record of 22 set last season.

UPCOMING EVENTS & PROMOTIONS:

February 23 Game Time Change: The start time for the Fuel's home game on Saturday, February 23 has been changed to 6:05 p.m. ET from the previously listed time of 7:35 p.m. ET. Please note that any previously-issued tickets for this game - including those from Fuel Season Ticket packages - may display the incorrect time, but are still valid and will be accepted for entry into Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Feb. 23.

Shaving Prices with Indiana Farmers Insurance: The Fuel are teaming up with Indiana Farmers Insurance to bring you the best ticket deal of the season! Starting on Monday, Feb. 11, fans can head to Ticketmaster to pick up select seats for the Fuel's home game on Saturday, March 2 starting as low as $1! A limited number of discounted tickets are available, so click here to reserve yours before they run out!

TICKET INFORMATION:

Individual tickets for all Fuel home games at Indiana Farmers Coliseum are available at IndyFuelHockey.com, or by visiting the Indiana Farmers Coliseum box office. A variety of Ticket Plans are also still available for the 2018-19 season, call the Fuel ticket office at 317-925-FUEL for learn more today!

BROADCAST:

Catch every home game this season with a free online stream at IndyFuelHockey.com! Click the “Watch/Listen Live” button to hear Voice of the Fuel Andrew Smith bring you all of the action from Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Fans can also watch all 72 games at home and on the road live through ECHL.TV!

FOLLOW THE FUEL:

Don't forget to follow the Fuel on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (IndyFuel) for news, updates, contests and much more throughout the 2018-19 season! Join the Fuel's 5th Anniversary Celebration by using the hashtag #Fuel5 on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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