In their quest for their second playoff appearance in franchise history, the Indy Fuel picked up a huge three points. In their two-game home stand, the Fuel lost in a shootout to Fort Wayne Comets and rebounded in a massive way against the Atlanta Gladiators.
Game 1 — Friday, Jan. 24: Indy Fuel 1, Fort Wayne Komets 2,
In the Fuel’s first match-up since the ECHL All-Star game, they took on division rival Fort Wayne Komets. In their previous meeting, the Komets bested the Fuel 5-2. This match up was a hotly contested bout between both teams, but the Fuel found themselves on the losing end of the score once again.
The Fuel’s lone goal came from the recently acquired Ryan Van Stralen. Van Stralen seized a juicy rebound from Goalie Cole Kehler and buried it for his first Fuel goal of the season.
🚨NEW GUYYYYYYYY🚨
Van Stralen makes it 1-0 on the power play! Not a bad start to your first Fuel game. pic.twitter.com/hKR3QQoJHY
— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) January 25, 2020
The game remained deadlocked at one until the eventual shootout. In their second shootout of the season, the Fuel fell to Fort Wayne.
Game 2 — Saturday, Jan. 25: Indy Fuel 6, Atlanta Gladiators 1
The Indiana Farmers Coliseum turned into the Roman Colosseum for this Saturday night affair. The Fuel slayed the Gladiators with such unrelenting fury that the Gladiators were lucky enough to limp out of the arena. In their series finale, the Fuel and Gladiators were tied after the first period. In the second period, the Gladiators did their best Oprah impression giving out goals at a freewheeling rate.
Van Stralen started off the scoring by wiring a shot past Chris Nell. Spencer Watson kept the scoring parade moving along with wristing a shot past Nell.
🚨✨OG WATTYYY✨🚨
Spencer Watson makes it 3-1 for the squad with 6:20 left in the second! pic.twitter.com/MKOiTAHVXO
— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) January 26, 2020
Alex Rauter joined in the fun and cashed in the fourth goal of the game for the Fuel. Watson then jumped back into the scoring pool with his second goal of the game. Derian Plouffe dished an impressive pass to Watson who finished off a 2-1 scoring chance. The chef’s kiss on the Fuel’s masterpiece was provided by Liam Coughlin. Coughlin cleanup a juicy rebound and deposited it in the Gladiator’s net.
With the win, the Fuel reached 20 wins faster than they did last season.
Fuel dump:
- Fuel completed their trade with Greenville Swamp Rabbits sending Karl El-Mir as consideration owed in the Mathieu Foget on January 20th.
- Bobby MacIntrye continued his point streak with one goal and four assists in the last five games.
- Indy is fifth on the power play at 20.8 percent (33-for-159).