“Got three in a row. Go for one more, Go for it, Connect Four!” That was the Fuel’s mantra this past week stringing together four wins in a row. With the winning streak, the Fuel leapfrogged the Fort Wayne Komets to take possession of third place in the Central Division.
Tuesday, February 4th, Fuel 3 vs Cincinnati 2
In a rare weekday matchup- the Fuel took on the Cincinnati Cyclones. In typical Fuel fashion, the team jumped out to a first-period lead. Three minutes into the first period, Keoni Texeira dangled in the Cincinnati zone and then found Alex Rauter for the impressive finish.
🚨⛽️POWER PLAY GOAL ⛽️🚨
Alex Rauter gives us the first goal of the game and puts us up 1-0! pic.twitter.com/kDhuwyCtM5
— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) February 5, 2020
Rauter was not done on the score sheet. He sent Mathieu Foget streaking on a stretch pass. Foget delivered the goods and a two-goal lead. After the Cyclones cut the lead in half to end the first period. In the second period, the Fuel’s Josh McArdle found Foget on three-on-one breakaway, and he cashed in his second goal of the game to give the Fuel a 3-1 lead. The Fuel never relinquished the lead and won 3-2 over Cyclones.
Friday, February 7th: Fuel 6, Tulsa 2
On Hockey Fights Cancer Night, the Indy fuel ravaged the Tulsa Oilers. Despite the final score being very lopsided, the first period was a whitewash for both teams. In the second period, the Fuel broke open the scoring drought. Keoni Texeira turned on the hyperdrive and scored the game’s first goal.
TEX BE ZOOMIN 🚗💨 pic.twitter.com/ccJgmPS4rU
— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) February 8, 2020
The lead provided by Texeira was short-lived as Tulsa’s Jared Thomas scoring the tying goal on netminder Dan Bakala. The Fuel regained the lead on a goal from Joe Sullivan, who received a beaut of a pass from McArdle for the goal. Less than a minute later, Spencer Watson feathered a back door pass to Bobby MacIntyre for the third goal of the game. The flood gates of empty-net goals came after the Tulsa scored a goal of their own. MacIntyre, Nathan Noel, and Ryan Van Stralen added empty goals to seal the victory.
Saturday, February 8th: Fuel 4, Kalamazoo 2
Saturday’s game was the second game in three days for the Fuel. Indy didn’t have a middle game in let down. Early in the first period, Fuel’s Van Stralen capitalized on a cross-ice pass from Alex Krushelnyski to score the first goal of the game. The Van Stralen goal was scored against former Fuel goalie Jake Hildebrand. The Wings responded quickly, Justin Kovacs snapped wrister in for the equalizer.
The Fuel regained the lead on a Michael Doherty goal. The goal was generated by the forechecking of Van Stralen. In the third period, MacIntyre delivered the death blow to the Wings. He channeled his inner Tom Berenger from the movie Sniper.
Don't leave @bmacintyre13 alone 🎯 pic.twitter.com/gIaVynmtka
— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) February 9, 2020
The Wings did not go quietly into the night and scored a late goal. However, the goal from the Wings proved to futile as Doherty’s empty-net goal clinched the victory.
Sunday, February 9th: Fuel 5, Fort Wayne 2
Perfect weeks are hard to achieve but not impossible. Finishing out their third game in three days and their fourth game of the week, the Fuel started off like a fatigued team. Indy found themselves down two to one after the first period. In the second period, the Fuel would get back into this game with a tying goal from Sullivan. Finishing tied after two periods, the Fuel finally found their legs in the third period. Nathan Noel brought the funk and third goal of the game for the Fuel. Shortly after the Noel goal, Jake Ryczek gave the fans on Sunday funday another reason to celebrate.
🚨JAKE RYCZEK GOALLLLLLLL 🚨
*KISSES FINGERS*
And now we are up 4-2! pic.twitter.com/dTgbcQunGF
— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) February 9, 2020
Van Stralen chipped in a power-play goal from the point to cement the victory and perfect week.
Fuel Dump:
- Ryan Van Stralen has a goal in his last three games.
- Jake Schultz has been released for the roster.
- Josh McArdle was recalled by the Rockford Icehogs.
- Mathieu Foget is on a four-game point streak.
- The Fuel have now won five games in a row going back to last week.