WHEELING- The Fuel ventured back to Wheeling to take on the Nailers to start their second straight weekend on the road. After a dominant first period, the Fuel set the tone and came away with the 5-2 win, largely in part to Jon Martin’s hat trick in his first game back from the IR.

1ST PERIOD

The Fuel got the first power play of the game with a tripping call on Davis Bunz at 5:11 but it did not last long as Cam Hillis took a hooking call just forty seconds into the power play. 

Ultimately, both of those penalties were killed off and just ten seconds after the Fuel returned to even-strength, Darby Llewellyn intercepted a pass and scored on a breakaway to make it 1-0 for the Fuel.

At 9:14, Louie Roehl took a cross checking penalty to put Indy back on the power play however the Nailers killed it off. With less than two minutes to go, Bunz took another penalty. This time, a slashing call as the Fuel were piling on shots. 

A shorthanded breakaway attempt for the Nailers was stopped by a prepared Driscoll in net and time expired on the period with the Fuel up 1-0 and outshooting Wheeling 19-5, which is the most shots Indy had in a single period so far this season.

2ND PERIOD

After killing off the rest of that penalty, Wheeling got a power play opportunity at 2:18 when Kyle Maksimovich headed to the box for cross checking. With just three seconds left in their power play, Wheeling tied the game with a goal by Justin Addamo. 

At 7:56, Jon Martin scored with the help of Josh Maniscalco against his former team to give the Fuel a 2-1 lead. Martin became the sole goals leader for the Fuel this season until seventeen seconds later when Maksimovich scored to tie him with 11 goals himself. 

That goal put the Fuel up 3-1 with the help of Ross MacDougall and Cam Hillis. Forty seconds later, Llewellyn took a roughing penalty, giving Wheeling a chance on the power play but the Fuel killed it off.

At 16:18, Sam Ruffin took a hooking penalty, sending Wheeling to the power play again however the Fuel killed off the penalty successfully. With less than a minute to go, Indy took another penalty. This time, a cross checking call on captain Seamus Malone after a scuffle between both teams. 

Wheeling did not score before time expired on the second frame, however their power play would carry over to the third period. 

3RD PERIOD

Wheeling opened the scoring this period with a goal by Evan Vierling at 2:34 to make it 3-2. They continued to hold momentum through the first five minutes of the frame, putting pressure on Driscoll in net.

Malone took another penalty at 7:08 of the third period for slashing but the Fuel killed it off before getting a power play of their own at 9:38 courtesy of a roughing penalty on Matthew Quercia. 

Wheeling was able to kill off that penalty but at 12:39 took another, a holding call on Dillon Hamaliuk which resulted in Jon Martin’s second goal of the game at 13:51 to make it 4-2. 

At 19:05, with an empty Wheeling net, Jon Martin tallied his third goal of the game, completing the hat trick and sealing the deal on a 5-2 Fuel victory.

The Indy Fuel are back in action at Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Friday, January 19, 2024 for the Fuel’s 10th Anniversary Celebration. Tickets are available HERE. 

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, are back at Indiana Farmers Coliseum for their tenth season. Check out all the Fuel’s promotions, theme nights and get your tickets now HERE. 

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