WHEELING - Playing the first of two matchups to close out the regular season, the Indy Fuel visited the Wheeling Nailers on Friday night. After the teams finished the second period tied, Indy put home a pair of goals to earn a 3-1 win and set a franchise record for wins in a season.
Throughout the first half of the period, the Indy Fuel would be outshot 9-6 by the Nailers. Both teams would have a chance on the man advantage but Dan Bakala and Tom Nappier would hold on to the scoreless tie.
Early in the second period, Indy was able to put a puck past Nappier causing referees to head to the scorers box for a review. After a long review, referee Logan Gruhl ruled it no goal. Eventually breaking the scoreless tie, Nailers forward Patrick Watling one-timed a pass from Brendan Harris past Bakala. Indy’s Tim Davison would score to tie the game late in the period, sending the teams into the locker room tied 1-1.
The Fuel would be the first team to get on the board after the Indy offense jumped on a Nailers turnover. Receiving a pass from Michael Pelech, Keoni Texeira wristed a shot past Nappier to give the Fuel a 2-1 lead. Nic Pierog would score the empty netter with :54 seconds remaining in the game, earning the 3-1 win for the Fuel.
The Fuel have clinched a spot in the 2021 Kelly Cup Playoffs! Single game tickets are now available for the first home game on June 8. Fuel season memberships are also available for the 2021-22 season, purchase your package by June 14th to receive complimentary parking for the entire 2021-22 regular season. Find details and pricing at IndyFuelHockey.com.
--INDYFUELHOCKEY.COM-
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