FUEL SEASON COMES TO A CLOSE

INDIANAPOLIS- The Fuel hosted the Toledo Walleye in game four of the division semifinals and fell 5-3 after gaining their first lead of the series. 

1ST PERIOD

At 4:26, Donovan Sebrango was called for tripping, giving the Fuel a power play opportunity. It appeared that Bilek had scored to give the Fuel a 1-0 lead, however upon review it was overturned due to goaltender interference. 

While still shorthanded, Sam Craggs scored to give the Walleye a 1-0 lead. Less than two minutes after that, however, Chase Lang scored for the Fuel to tie it up. Andrew Bellant and Max Golod were credited with assists. 

With less than three minutes to go in the first frame, Bilek scored, and it stuck, to give the Fuel their first lead of the series, 2-1. However just a minute later, Brandon Hawkins scored for the Walleye to make it 2-2 which is how the period expired after offsetting roughing penalties for Lang and Toledo’s Andrew Sturtz.

2ND PERIOD

Alex Wideman gave Indy their second lead of the game 3-2 at 13:36.

The rest of the second frame went by quickly with minimal whistles until the last thirty seconds of the period when Toledo was called for delay of game.

That power play for the Fuel would carry over into the third period. By the end of the second, Toledo was outshooting Indy 20-11. 

3RD PERIOD

Indy put the pressure on with the power play but Toledo was able to kill off their penalty that carried over without giving up a goal.

Things got slightly chippier over the course of the first ten minutes but no one took a penalty until Koletrane Wilson sat for interference at 9:57. The Fuel killed it off however Kirill Tyutyayev scored at 13:06 to tie the game 3-3. 

At 15:06, Hawkins got his second of the game to put Toledo up 4-3. This goal was assisted by Gordie Green who tallied his third assist of the game. 

With two minutes left, the Fuel pulled Mitchell Weeks from goal and were able to put pressure on but ultimately TJ Hensick scored the empty net goal to put the Walleye up 5-3 and effectively eliminate the Fuel from the playoffs.

The Indy Fuel are the proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks and the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs.

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