INDIANAPOLIS — The Indy Fuel (16-14-0-0) took on the Brampton Beast (13-16-2-1) for the first time in the 2018-19 campaign Saturday night.
Jason Pawloski saw action for just the third time this season. Pawloski was off to a shaky start to the season coming into their game against the Beast. The rookie netminder was 0-2 with a 6.00 goals-against-average and a .778 save percentage.
Austin Lotz got the start in net for the Beast. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native entered with a 1-6-1 record alongside a 3.92 goals-against average and a .886 save percentage. Those eight games were split evenly between the Reading Royals and the Beast.
FUEL STARTING LINEUP
Olivier Labelle-Mathew Thompson-Kevin Dufour
Robert Powers-Dmitry Osipov
Jason Pawloski
Just 54 seconds in, Alex Brooks found the back of the net for the Fuel for his third of the season. Brooks’ shot went off Lotz’s pad and deflected in to give Indy the early lead. The assists on the goal were credited to Quentin Shore and Josh Shalla.
With 1:45 left in the opening frame, former Fuel forward Anthony Beauregard buried his sixth of the season on a cross-crease pass from Francois Beauchemin. Beuaregard’s late goal tied the game at one.
After a quiet second period, the Beast exploded with four goals in the third period. The Canadian club got two goals from Nathan Todd and one each from Matt Petgrave and Austin McEneny.
Mathew Thompson got one back for the Fuel with 1:18 remaining in the game. That made the defeat look a little less embarrassing at 5-2.
Quotebook
Fuel head coach Bernie John on Pawloski’s performance: “He was fine. He doesn’t get to play a lot and he’s just been buying his time. For the time being, what he’s been doing, he’s been doing fine. We’ll evaluate everybody, but he’s okay. He’s just got to make sure to keep practicing hard the way he does and keep doing the things he has to do and keep himself ready. It’s hard when you’re not playing to do that and just really practicing. Sometimes we’ve had three goalies here when [Kevin] Lankinen’s down and stuff like that. It’s a tough process for a goaltender but that’s the way this league is.”
By The Numbers
8 – Number of losses for the Fuel against Brampton all-time. That also happens to be the number of meetings the two teams have had.
1 – Number of games left for the Fuel in 2018. They face the Kalamazoo Wings on New Year’s Eve at Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan.