FISHERS- The Indy Fuel hosted the Toledo Walleye for the first time this season on Friday night to kick off a Central division three-in-three weekend for them. After opening the scoring, the Fuel fell 5-2 to the Walleye on Friday night.

1ST PERIOD

At 2:57, Indy’s Lachlan Getz took the game’s first penalty for a delay of game. This put Toledo on the power play but the Fuel killed it off. 

Toledo earned the game’s next power play with 12:05 to go in the first period, when Jackson DeSouza was called for tripping. That was quickly evened out just five seconds later when Toledo’s Quinn Preston was sent to the other penalty box for tripping. 

Immediately after those penalties were killed off, Harrison Israels scored for Indy, putting them up 1-0 with the help of a pair of defensemen, Tommy Budnick and Kyle Aucoin.

At 15:07, Mitchell Hoelscher was called for high sticking, putting the Fuel on another two-minute penalty kill. Gajan stood strong in net until Toledo’s Kaden Bohlsen took a holding penalty with just eight seconds left in Hoelscher’s penalty. Neither team scored.

With just eleven seconds left in the first frame, a fight broke out that earned Jadon Joseph and Toledo’s Campbell Cichosz each two-minute roughing minor penalties. Additionally, Marcus Joughin was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Off the next face-off, Tag Bertuzzi scored for Toledo to tie the game, 1-1 before the period ended. 

After one period, the Walleye were outshooting Indy, 10-9. 

2ND PERIOD

Just 52 seconds into the second period, Cody Laskosky headed to the penalty box for a delay of game penalty. It was killed off quickly. 

Tommy Budnick took a high-sticking double minor penalty at 7:39, putting the Fuel on an extended penalty kill. 

Brandon Hawkins scored on the power play quickly, to put the Walleye up 2-1 at 8:15. Budnick remained in the penalty box to serve the additional two minutes before both teams were back to full strength.

With 6:30 to go in the second period, there was more 4-on-4 action as Chase Dafoe and Toledo’s Quinn Preston were each sent to the box for roughing. 

Both of those penalties were killed off before the Walleye’s Nick Nardecchia scored to make it 3-1 late in the second frame. 

Bertuzzi scored his second goal of the game with just 35.1 seconds to go in the second period. This put the Walleye up 4-1. 

After two frames, Toledo had outshot Indy, 25-21. 

3RD PERIOD

Marcus Crawford took a cross-checking penalty at 1:27 and less than twenty seconds later, he was joined by his teammate Nick Andrews, who sat for a high sticking minor. 

At 2:32, Jacob Perreault scored his first Fuel goal with the two-man advantage. His goal was assisted by Matt Petgrave and Kyler Kupka to make it 4-2. 

Kupka and Jaden Grant each took a double minor for roughing after a fight broke out after Nardecchia was assessed a cross checking minor. This gave Indy a power play chance in the second half of the third period. 

All of those penalties were killed off before Bertuzzi took a high sticking call at 13:49, putting the Fuel back on the power play. Toledo killed it off, however. 

Preston scored an empty net goal with just over two minutes to go in regulation after Gajan was pulled from net. This made it 5-2, which is how the game would end. The Fuel outshot the Walleye, 32-31 despite the final score.

ABOUT THE INDY FUEL:

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 have returned to Fishers Event Center for their 13th season. Information and tickets can be found HERE.

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--INDYFUELHOCKEY.COM--