FUEL HOLD ON TO DEFEAT THE NAILERS

INDIANAPOLIS - Playing the first of three games on the weekend, the Indy Fuel hosted the Wheeling Nailers on Friday night. Scoring three straight goals in the first period, Indy would go on to net six goals on the night and defeat the Nailers at home. 

Starting the game with two fights in the first 10 minutes, the two teams traded chances until Indy was the first team to get on the board. Jumping on a rebound in front of goaltender Brody Claeys, Riley McKay flipped the puck over the sprawling Wheeling goaltender to give the Fuel a 1-0 lead. 

Responding just under a minute later, Sean Josling snuck into the Fuel zone and fired a wrist shot that beat Cale Morris. Taking the one-goal lead with 7:12 left in the first period, Spencer Watson deflected a wrist shot from the point past Claeys, making the score 2-1 for the Fuel. Picking up a loose puck at the offensive blueline, Jordan Schneider fired a shot on net that beat an unsuspecting Claeys, giving the Fuel a 3-1 lead. 

Wheeling would be the first team to get on the board in the third period when Sam Hausinger streaked past the Fuel defense and tucked a puck around the stretched pad of Morris, cutting Indy’s lead to 3-2. Taking advantage of a 4-on-4 opportunity, Sam Houde caught a pass from Sean Josling and wristed a shot past Cale Morris, tying the game 3-3.

Scoring less than a minute into the final period, Spencer Watson deked his way through the Wheeling defense and chipped a shot over the shoulder of Claeys, giving the Fuel a 4-3 lead. Scoring on a 2-on-1 rush, Chase Lang fed Chad Yetman a cross-ice pass and he one-timed the puck past a sprawling Claeys to give the Fuel a 5-3 advantage. Wheeling responded with a goal of their own when Josh Maniscalco put home a bouncing puck in front of Morris, cutting Indy’s lead to 5-4.  Karl El-Mir would put home the empty netter, with 1:37 remaining sealing Indy’s 6-4 victory over the Nailers on Friday night. 

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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