FORT WAYNE, IN – Playing their second game of a three-game series this weekend, the Fuel visited the Fort Wayne Komets at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Indy scored six goals and Tom Aubrun stopped 43 shots en route to a 6-3 win on Saturday night. 
Although earning a power play in the first 10 minutes of the first period, the Fuel were outshot 8-0. After defending a barrage of Fort Wayne opportunities to start the period, Indy took the first lead when Dylan Malmquist fed a streaking Matt Marcinew and he tipped the puck past Stefanos Lekkas.
Indy thought it had doubled its lead when Nick Hutchison fired a slapshot through the glove of Lekkas but after review, the referees ruled that the whistle was blown before the puck crossed the goal line. Indy eventually doubled its lead when Brent Gates one-timed a cross-ice pass from Jared Thomas over the shoulder of Lekkas.
Controlling the play for the first few minutes of the second period, the Komets eventually trimmed their deficit when Morgan Adams-Moisan tapped in a back-door pass from Matt Murphy. The Fuel took back their two goal lead when Terry Broadhurst jumped on a rebounded shot and put the puck over the shoulder of Lekkas. Referees reviewed the goal for goaltender interference but eventually ruled it a good goal.
Taking advantage of a man advantage, Fort Wayne’s Randy Gazzola gave Justin Vaive a back-door pass and he tapped the puck into an empty net. The Fuel held on to their one-goal lead for the remaining three minutes and go into the locker room leading 3-2.
The Fuel was the first team to get on the board early in the third period when Marcinew beat a Komets defenseman on the rush and tucked the puck between the legs of Lekkas. Tripling their lead with 12:15 remaining, Willie Raskob went coast to coast and beat Lekkas with a wrist shot. Fort Wayne responded immediately when Anthony Nellis put a shot over the shoulder of Aubrun to make the score 5-3. The Fuel defended a massive push from the Komets before Jared Thomas put home the empty netter to close out the 6-3 win.
The Fuel and Komets will conclude their weekend set with a Sunday afternoon contest in Fort Wayne starting at 5 p.m.
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