INDIANAPOLIS — The Indy Fuel (17-15-0-0) faced the Fort Wayne Komets (17-14-0-1) in a Thursday night rivalry showdown. The Fuel are 1-2 this season against the team from up the interstate in Fort Wayne.
Matt Tomkins got the starting call in net for Indy. The second-year pro was just named ECHL Goaltender of the Week for the second time this season and was named an ECHL Goaltender of the Month runner-up. Tomkins entered the matchup with a 13-9-0-0 record alongside a 3.16 goals-against-average and a .906 save percentage.
At the other end, Zachary Fucale got the start for the Komets. Fucale entered the game with an 8-5-0-1 along with a 2.99 goals-against-average and an .896 save percentage. Fucale just returned from a stint with Team Canada in the Spengler Cup.
FUEL STARTING LINEUP
Josh Shalla-Quentin Shore-Radovan Bondra
Robert Powers-Dmitry Osipov
Matt Tomkins
Justin Hodgman got the scoring started early for Fort Wayne as he roofed one over the shoulder of Tomkins. This gave the Komets an early 1-0 lead.
Former Komets forward Logan Nelson potted his fifth of the season just 1:32 into the second period. He picked up his own rebound after the initial shot was blocked by a Komets defender and ripped the puck five-hole on Fucale.
A pair of J.C. Campagna goals gave the Komets a two-goal lead as he netted his 15th and 16th of the season, one of which coming on the man advantage. Hodgman picked up primary assists on both Campagna goals.
Mason Baptista sealed the victory for the Komets on a breakaway, as his fourth of the season led the Komets to a 4-1 victory.
Quotebook
Nelson on the offense getting more shots on net lately: “It’s definitely something that we notice in the [locker] room. We talk about getting the puck on the net more and being heavy in the shot department. It creates offense and offensive zone faceoffs, which could lead to a penalty and a power play, you never know. It’s something that we talk about in the [locker] room and that we try to bring to our game.”
By The Numbers
40 – Number of shots on goal for the Komets
2 – Number of players that left with injures for the Fuel (Miles Liberati and Matt Rupert)