INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – In a game that threatened to be a runaway barn burner after a four-goal first period, the Indy Fuel and Toledo Walleye staged a classic ECHL battle that needed a shootout to settle at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
Dylan Clarke got the Fuel on the board just 1:18 into the contest with a wrist shot from the left wing that beat Toledo goaltender Jeff Lerg over the right shoulder.  Lerg appeared to leave the post early to create daylight for Clarke’s shot. After Toledo responded at 8:34 with an AJ Jenks marker, the Fuel found itself on the power play thanks to Jenks taking a cross-checking penalty.  Assistant captain Garett Bembridge made the Walleye pay with a man-advantage marker at 12:21, taking a cross-ice feed from Alex Lavoie and firing a one-timer past Lerg to make it 2-1.
Toledo would once again even the score at 17:45 when Evan Rankin found the net during
a delayed penalty against the Fuel and Lerg on the bench for the extra skater.
In the second period Toledo carried the bulk of the play but Owen shined in net for the Fuel, turning aside all 11 shots faced to keep Indy in the game headed to the third.
To begin the final frame the Fuel came out firing, pelting Lerg with shots but unable to find a way to break the deadlock.  The Walleye also notched another 11-shot period but once again Owen was solid and helped push the game through to overtime and then a shootout.
In the second round of the shootout the Fuel scored on Kyle Stroh’s attempt while Owen stopped Kyle Bonis, setting the stage for Alex Lavoie to win the game with his goal in the third round.  Lavoie beat Lerg on the glove side to send his teammates over the boards to celebrate the opening night win.
With Indy Fuel team release
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