FUEL LOSE HARD FOUGHT GAME 2 IN TOLEDO

TOLEDO - The Fuel took on the Walleye for Game 2 of the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. It was a hard-fought contest, but the Walleye would pull away in the third period and finish the game 5-2.

1ST PERIOD

The Fuel started strong offensively, but it was the Walleye that struck first as Mitchell Lewandowski scored at 3:10 of the first period.

The Fuel kept the offensive pressure and had a chance at 3:34 when the Walleye were called for a delay of game, granting Indy a two-minute power play. 

Nothing came from the power play, and the next action would be another Toledo Walleye goal, this time by Jalen Smereck at 11:35, his second of the post-season.

Things started to get chippy at 18:55 when the Walleye’s Conlan Keenan up-ended Kevin Lombardi. Both were assessed with a delay of game, plus an interference minor for Keenan, putting the Fuel on the power play.

The period would end with the Fuel scoreless but heading into the second period on the power play.

2ND PERIOD

At 1:51, just after the second Fuel power play expired, Jesse Tucker intercepted a Walleye pass in the offensive zone, rifled one towards the net, and Matus Spodniak redirected it for the first Fuel goal of the game.

The Fuel would continue the pressure, but Toledo would strike back at 9:34 when Trenton Bliss found the back of the net for his second goal of the postseason.

The fists would start flying at 11:33 when four players were called for roughing, two from each team, including 2024-25 ECHL MVP Brandon Hawkins for the Walleye and Kevin Lynch for the Fuel. Neither team would lose a player and would continue 5-on-5.

At 17:04 of the second period, Ethan Manderville took it one-on-one and flipped a wrist shot top shelf for his first career playoff goal in his first career playoff game.

The second would end with the Walleye leading 3-2 and the shots favoring Toledo in the period 10-8.

3RD PERIOD

A calm third period for the first half until D.J. King and Nolan Moyle received matching minors at the 13:00 minute mark, triggering a 4-on-4 for two minutes.

25 seconds later, Nick Grima and Brandon Kruse received matching minors. The game would continue 4-on-4. Tack on a tripping call against Nathan Burke at 14:19, and Toledo would receive their first power play of the game in a 4-on-3 situation.

At 15:40, the Walleye would convert as Mitch Lewandowski sent home his second of the postseason.

With just over three minutes remaining, the Fuel pulled Ben Gaudreau, only to have Kevin Lynch be called for cross-checking at 16:55, leading to a Brandon Hawkins goal, giving him his fourth point of the night.

The final score would be 5-2 Walleye, and they would take a commanding 2-0 series lead heading into two games on the road in Indy.

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