FUEL CLOSE OUT RECORD BREAKING SEASON WITH A HARD FOUGHT BATTLE AGAINST TOLEDO

FISHERS- The Fuel hosted the Toledo Walleye on Tuesday night as they faced elimination from the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Ultimately, the Walleye defeated the Fuel 4-2 despite a late-game push from Indy.

1ST PERIOD

The Fuel took a too many men penalty that was served by Jarrett Lee at 2:46 but Indy killed it off. 

At 9:21, Max Coyle took a high sticking penalty, putting the Walleye back on the power play but again, Indy killed it off. 

Five seconds after time expired on that penalty, Matt Anderson scored to make it 1-0 Toledo. 

The Fuel got their first power play chance of the game at 17:33 when Mitchell Lewandowski took a hooking penalty. The Walleye killed off that penalty.  

After one period, the Fuel were outshooting the Walleye 9-2.

2ND PERIOD

At 6:45, Matus Spodniak headed to the penalty box for roughing. This resulted in a power play goal for Toledo’s Lewandowski to put the Walleye up 2-0. 

Lucas Brenton headed to the box next for a delay of game at 12:05. The Fuel killed it off. About thirty seconds after that was killed off, Kevin Lynch went to the box for slashing but again, Indy killed it off. 

At 16:34, Bryan Lemos took a cross checking penalty that put Indy on the penalty kill again. They were successful in killing that penalty too. 

Shots were tied that period, 8-8. 

3RD PERIOD

The Fuel started the period on the penalty kill as DJ King was called for roughing at the end of the second period after a scuffle between both teams. 

After that penalty was killed, Carson Bantle went to the box for roughing after a scuffle along the boards between both teams. Colin Swoyer joined him shortly after for high sticking, which put the Fuel on a 5-on-3 power play. 

As Bantle exited the box, he intercepted the puck and scored shorthanded to make it 3-0 in favor of the Walleye.

At 5:18, Ethan Manderville put the Fuel on the board to make it 3-1 with the help of Kevin Lynch and Max Coyle. 

Indy took the game’s next penalty at 9:34. Cam Hausinger went to the box for interference but they killed it off. 

With about three minutes to go, the Fuel pulled Ben Gaudreau from net in favor of the extra skater and it paid off. Kevin Lombardi scored with 2:57 to go in the third period to make it 3-2. Lemos and Owen Robinson had the assists on that goal.

Sam Craggs scored the empty net goal with about thirty seconds remaining in the third period to put the Walleye up 4-2 and secure the win for Toledo. 

The Walleye will move on to play the winner of the other Central division semifinal series between the Fort Wayne Komets and the Iowa Heartlanders.

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The Indy Fuel are the proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks and the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs. The Fuel are now playing at the new Fishers Event Center. Information and tickets can be found HERE. 

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--INDYFUELHOCKEY.COM--