GLADIATORS IN THE COLISEUM: Coming off of their first shootout loss of the season to the Fort Wayne Komets on Friday night, the Indy Fuel turn their eyes to the Atlanta Gladiators on Saturday. Saturday's game will be the second time the Fuel have met the Gladiators this season, yet the first time that the two teams have met at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
THE MATCHUP: Indy enters Saturday's matchup with five points in their last five games, most recently earning one point for taking the Fort Wayne Komets to a shootout on Friday night. The Fuel have met the Gladiators once this season, during their four-game road trip against South Division teams. Falling by a score of 4-3 on November 17th, Indy will be looking to split the season series with at Atlanta on Saturday. The Gladiators have lost three straight, although earning points in an overtime loss to Greenville on January 20th and a shootout loss to Toledo on Friday night.
NEW FACES: Acquiring three new players this week, Indy has had to juggle a new lineup. Although Atlanta has met the Fuel once before this season, they'll be meeting a very different lineup than they met on November 17th. Indy's three new players connected on Friday night seeing Ryan Van Stralen scoring their only goal of the game in a 2-1 loss to Fort Wayne Van Stralen's goal would get assists from Mathieu Foget and Cliff Watson, both players playing their first games in a Fuel uniform.
GOALTENDER BATTLE: After being handed his first shootout loss of the season, Dan Bakala made 37 saves on 38 shots from the Fort Wayne Komets, including five saves in a scoreless overtime period. Bakala has earned a 2.03 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage through seven games in a Fuel uniform. Splitting time with Bakala, Charles Williams has registered a 2.84 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage through 24 games in a Fuel uniform as well as holding the lead in wins at 13. Leading the Gladiators with 19 games, Chris Nell has earned seven wins and registered a 3.73 goals-against average and a .887 save percentage.
LOOKING AHEAD: After Friday night's loss to Fort Wayne, the Fuel will host the Atlanta Gladiators for the first time this season before closing out the month of January with three games in three days against Central Division opponents Kalamazoo Wings, Cincinnati Cyclones and Toledo Walleye.
Adirondack Thunder
Allen Americans
Atlanta Gladiators
Bloomington Bison
Cincinnati Cyclones
Florida Everblades
Fort Wayne Komets
Greensboro Gargoyles
Greenville Swamp Rabbits
Idaho Steelheads
Indy Fuel
Iowa Heartlanders
Jacksonville Icemen
Kalamazoo Wings
Kansas City Mavericks
Maine Mariners
Norfolk Admirals
Orlando Solar Bears
Rapid City Rush
Reading Royals
Savannah Ghost Pirates
South Carolina Stingrays
Tahoe Knight Monsters
Toledo Walleye
Trois-Rivières Lions
Tulsa Oilers
Utah Grizzlies
Wheeling Nailers
Wichita Thunder
Worcester Railers