Indy and Orlando Meet for Saturday Night Rematch

Playing their second of a three-game series on Saturday night, Indy hosts East Division opponent Orlando Solar Bears. Indy has dropped four out of their last five games heading into Saturday night while Orlando has won seven out of their last nine games. 

TIME: 7:00 p.m. ET

TV/Stream: FloSports, mixlr.com/IndyFuel

TEAM RECORDS

IND: 27-18-4-0, 58 PTS 

ORL: 27-18-4-1, 59 PTS

TEAM LEADERS

IND

Matt Marcinew - 37 points (18G, 19A)

Nic Pierog - 30 points (19G, 11A)

Willie Raskob - 28 points (11G, 17A)

ORL

Aaron Luchuk - 54 points (20G, 34A)

Tristin Langan - 41 points (18G, 23A)

Joseph Garreffa - 34 points (10G, 24A)

LAST TIME OUT

Beginning a three-game series on Friday night, the Indy Fuel hosted the Orlando Solar Bears at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Throughout the game, both teams would trade goals before a deflected shot by Orlando’s JJ Piccinich in the third period handed the Solar Bears the eventual game-winning goal. Orlando would net an empty netter with a second remaining to take the 5-3 win on Friday night. 

SPECIAL TEAMS FIRING

Scoring on two out of four chances on Friday night, Indy’s power play was firing on all cylinders. Having a night of their own, the Fuel penalty kill was able to eliminate four out of five penalties taken throughout Friday’s game Orlando would eventually break through scoring a deflection goal in the final minutes of the game. “We can’t take three bad penalties in the third period,” said Doug Christiansen after Friday’s game. “I thought our kill actually did a great job. But you get tired. You go six minutes, every other shift with the same guys, that gets hard. They wind up making a play, and a redirection goes in. But I can’t fault the penalty kill at all and obviously, the power did a great job.”

3RD ALL-TIME

Earning an assist on Indy’s second goal of the game on Friday night, Michael Pelech is now tied for third place on the ECHL’s all-time assists list. The veteran center has played in 24 games since joining the Fuel in late February, picking up eight goals and eight assists. 

CRITICAL POINTS

Defeating the Fuel on Friday night, Orlando is one win away from taking second place in the East Division. Indy currently sits in second in the East with a .592 win percentage while Orlando and Greenville are each within striking distance. A regulation win on Saturday night will keep the Fuel in second place in the East but if Indy drops a second straight game in regulation to Orlando and Greenville defeats South Carolina in regulation, Indy will finish the night in 4th place in the division. 

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