INDIANAPOLIS, IN – In the first half of a home and home series, the Indy Fuel hosted the Wheeling Nailers on Friday night. Indy jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first period and scored four more goals en route to a 5-1 win over the Nailers.
Scoring 23 seconds into the game, Jan Mandat received a pass from Darien Craighead and wristed the puck past Wheeling goaltedner Stephanos Lekkas. The Fuel outshot the Nailers 7-5 throughout the remainder of the period and Mitch Gillam held strong, sending the Fuel into the room leading 1-0.
After Wheeling took control in the first half of the second period, Gillam held on to the Fuel’s 1-0 lead. Indy looked to have taken a two-goal lead when CJ Eick fired a shot from the slot but referee Sam Heidemann ruled that the Fuel interfered with the goaltender and negated the goal. After being awarded a penalty shot late in the period, Jared Thomas wired a slap shot over the shoulder of Lekkas, giving the Fuel a 2-0 lead.
The Fuel tripled their lead when CJ Eick scored his fifth goal of the season after he jumped on a loose puck and shot it under the pad of Lekkas. Mandat later scored his second goal of the night and put the Fuel up 4-0 when he fired a wrist shot past a screened Lekkas.
Launching a shot from his own end, Griff Jeszka cemented the win when he put the puck in the Wheeling empty net. The Nailers scored a late goal to snap Mitch Gillam’s shutout but it wouldnt be enough as Indy won 5-1 on Friday night.
The two teams will complete their home-and-home series Saturday night in Wheeling.
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