INDIANAPOLIS - In the first of five straight road contests, the Indy Fuel visited the Wheeling Nailers on Sunday afternoon. The Fuel would take a 2-0 lead into the locker room after the first period, but five straight Wheeling goals would hand the Nailers a 5-2 win on Sunday.
The Fuel took an early lead in the 1st period with CJ Eick scoring a shorthanded goal just 3:21 into the game and Mike Lee followed with a power play goal two minutes later. Of the five total power plays in the 1st period, three were in favor of the Fuel. Wheeling out shot Indy 13-6 but were unable to get the puck past Indy goaltender Mitch Gillam.
Tempers continued to flare between the teams, gathering six combined penalties during the 2nd, including Indy’s Colton Heffley and Wheeling’s Shaw Boomhower both being given 5-minute majors for fighting 0:27 seconds into the period. With 11:30 left in the 2nd, Tyler Drevitch cut Indy’s lead in half. Wheeling would tie the game when Patrick Watling scored with just 0.2 seconds left in the period.
Nailer Alex Stevens took advantage of a deflection to give the Nailers a 3-2 lead two minutes into the 3rd. Despite three power plays for the Fuel and out shooting Wheeling 12-8, they were unable to execute. Mitch Gillam made some great saves throughout the period stopping six of Wheeling’s eight shots, but his efforts were overcome by Patrick Walting who scored both a power play goal and an empty netter to notch a hat trick and solidify Wheeling’s first home win of the 2021-22 season.
Various ticket options are now on sale for the Fuel’s 8th season at Indiana Farmers Coliseum! Lock up your seat for every second of the action at Indiana Farmers Coliseum with a Fuel Ticket Plan – grab yours by heading to IndyFuelHockey.com or by calling the Fuel front office at 317-925-FUEL. Don’t forget to follow the Fuel on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (IndyFuel) for news, updates, contests and much more throughout the 2021-22 season.
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