INDIANAPOLIS- The Indy Fuel hosted the Cincinnati Cyclones for Game Night in front of 6,329 fans - their fourth sold out crowd of the season. Unfortunately, luck was not on the Fuel’s side and they fell to the Cyclones, 7-1.
1ST PERIOD
Cincinnati drew the first penalty just 45 seconds into the game. They killed that off just before Indy’s Kirill Chaika sat for tripping which led to a power play goal by Cincinnati captain Justin Vaive at 3:52.
Cincinnati’s Zack Andrusiak put the Cyclones up 2-0 at 8:33.
At 12:38, Bryan Lemos took a hooking penalty which allowed Vaive to score his second goal of the game and make it 3-0.
2ND PERIOD
At 9:27, Vaive claimed his third goal of the game, completing the hat trick. Indy proceeded to swap goaltender Zach Driscoll for Cam Gray.
The period ended with Cincinnati up 4-0.
3RD PERIOD
Less than thirty seconds into the final frame, Vaive took a tripping penalty but Cincinnati’s Josh Passolt scored a shorthanded goal making it 5-0. About three minutes later, Vaive scored his fourth goal of the game to make it 6-0.
About halfway through the third, Fuel captain Keoni Texeira broke the shutout, making it 6-1 with the help of Wilson and Brown.
At 14:04, Andrusiak got his second goal of the game to put the Cyclones up 7-1 which is how the game would end six minutes later.
A SPECIAL CAUSE
While the game didn’t go the way Indy hoped, not all was lost with the night. The team wore special Game Night jerseys. On the front they had Special Olympics logos. Special Olympics Indiana, the nonprofit of the game, provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in as sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community.
Partial proceeds from tonight's jersey auction will benefit this amazing cause!
ABOUT THE INDY FUEL:The Indy Fuel, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks and the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs, return to Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Friday, March 3 against the Wheeling Nailers for World Record and Do317 Night. Tickets are available HERE.
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