THIRD PERIOD COMEBACK NOT ENOUGH AS THE FUEL FALL 2-1 TO WHEELING

INDIANAPOLIS - In the first of two games on the weekend and the second of the week, the Fuel hosted the Wheeling Nailers on Friday night. Scoring back-to-back goals in the second period, Wheeling would go on to shut the Fuel down and defeat them 2-1. 

Getting outshot 9-0 in the first eight minutes, Justin Kapelmaster and the Fuel held off a swarming Nailers team. Although defending a barrage of Wheeling shots, the Fuel would have a handful of chances for themselves but would be unable to score, sending the teams to the locker room tied 0-0.

Scoring :36 seconds into the first period, the Nailers’ Adam Smith pounced on his own rebound and chipped the puck over a sprawling Justin Kapelmaster. Taking advantage of a broken play in the Fuel defensive zone, Sean Josling fed a streaking Tim Doherty and he fired a wrist shot past Kapelmaster. 

Looking for their first goal of the game, the Fuel would dominate the first half of the final period but Louis-Phillip Guindon would hold them at bay. Indy would have to kill off the only penalty of the game in the third period after Jared Thomas took a minor penalty for high-sticking. After killing off the penalty, Indy would cut Wheeling’s lead to one goal after Jan Mandat scored with the net empty. Indy wouldn’t be able to score in the remaining minutes, eventually falling 2-1 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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