INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Evan Mosey fired a pair of goals 1:44 apart to ignite an Indy 3-goal unanswered opening period uprising before the Fuel were forced to stave off a late Atlanta rally to post their fourth consecutive victory in a 4-3 decision before a crowd of 3,947 on Service Night at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
The Fuel’s opening period 3-goal attack marked the second successive stanza that Head Coach Bernie John’s surging squad had produce their best scoring period of the season. Friday night, in their 6-1 domination of Wheeling, Indy erupted for 3-goals in the third frame of the game to halt a Nailers 5-game win skein.
Fuel defenseman Matt Stanisz culminated the victors’ first period barrage with his 3rd goal of the season, connecting on Indy’s lone power play advantage of the night. It was the Fuels’ 5th PPG of the campaign with all 5-registered on home where the Fuel power play ranks #1 in the ECHL at 5-11 for the season.
However, the Fuel needed a late third period goal from Alex Wideman (5) at the 17:01 mark of the third stanza to clinch the conquest. The Wideman goal was struck a mere :09 after the Atlantans had shaved their deficit to a scant singleton at 3-2. The high-scoring Atlanta attack was not done as the league’s leading scoring defenseman Blake Kessel connected with 1:41 remaining in regulation time after the Gladiators had lifted goaltender Steve Racine for the 6th attacker. That set the stage for a harrowing climax which saw the Fuel couch a masterful defensive posture to solidify their latest victory.
Atlanta outshot Indy, 31-19 as Fuel goaltender Jake Hildebrand earned his 6th win of the season, accounting for all of his club’s victories thus far this season.
With the win, the Fuel have climbed back to the .500 plateau, upgrading their record to 13(6-6-1) for 13-points while Atlanta’s mark falls to 18(8-8-2) 18-points.
The same two teams will stage an encore presentation Sunday afternoon in a 3:05 matinee affair on Fuel Family Fun Day.
The Fuel are now (2-0-0) through the initial 2-games of a 4-game home stand in 6-days.
With Indy Fuel release
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