INDIANAPOLIS, IN – In the first game of the New Year, the Indy Fuel (16-15-1-0) hosted the Central Division leading Cincinnati Cyclones (20-8-5-0) at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. With both teams scoring their goals in the first period, both teams fought through two scoreless periods, forcing overtime where Indy would come out on top with a 2-1 win.
Indy got the scoring started early when Keoni Texeira fired a wrist shot from the point and beat Cincinnati goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, giving the Fuel an early 1-0 lead. The Cyclones would respond quickly on the rush when Justin Baudry beat Charles Williams through the five hole with a deflected wrist shot.
Killing off an early penalty, the Fuel traded chances with Cincinnati throughout the first half of the second period. Both Luukkonen and Williams stood their ground as each team nearly capitalized on their scoring chances.
After a scoreless third period and both teams failing to capitalize on the power play, the 1-1 game continued on to 3-on-3 overtime. Opening the overtime period on the penalty kill, the Fuel killed off the remaining 20 seconds of the third period penalty. Three minutes into the overtime period a shot from Alex Krushelnyski came to Tim Shoup who fired it over the shoulder of Luukkonen, handing the Cyclones their fifth overtime loss of the season.
The Fuel are back on the ice Friday night when they host Fort Wayne at 7:35 p.m.
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