NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – After splitting the season series with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, the Indy Fuel (20-40-3-3) picked up an additional two points after besting the South Carolina Stingrays 4-1 Sunday afternoon at North Charleston Coliseum. Sunday’s game marked the third and final game of a South Carolina road trip and the third of a 
four-game road swing that concludes Friday evening in Toledo. The meeting between the teams is the only one of the season and Indy now holds the series edge all-time against the Stingrays 3-2-0-0.
The first period featured a combined four goals from both clubs and two scores from Indy within the first three minutes of play. Forward Nick Bligh opened the scoring for the Fuel at the 2:08 mark, which was followed by a Josh Shalla goal, his 30th of the season, 37 seconds later. South Carolina’s Andrew Cherniwchan scored after Kevin Dufour found him open in front of the net after Fuel goaltender Jake Hildebrand made a save on a Defour shot. The Stingrays first period score would be the only goal to make it past Hildebrand, who finished the evening with 43 saves. Forward Michael Neal got a puck past Stingrays’ goaltender Adam Carlson’s right shoulder seconds after coming out of the penalty box for a delay of game call. Indy held a two-goal lead heading into intermission, a lead they would not give up.
Indy wouldn’t score again until seven seconds left in regulation when Matt Rupert connected on an empty net goal to close out the scoring for the game. The Fuel finish the weekend with a 2-1-0-0 record for the second consecutive weekend and are 5-4-0-1 in their past 10 games.
The Fuel return to the ice on Friday, March 31st when they visit the Toledo Walleye.
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