INDIANAPOLIS– The Fuel hosted the Cincinnati Cyclones for a bright and early matchup in front of a sellout crowd of 7,054 fans on Education Day. After going up early, the Fuel kept the lead and took the 4-1 victory.
1ST PERIOD
Kyle Maksimovich started the scoring at just 3:01 with a behind-the-back tip-in to put the Fuel up 1-0. Colin Bilek and Ross MacDougall both claimed assists on the goal.
At 7:38, Jon Martin scored his eighteenth goal of the season to give Indy a 2-0 lead. Cam Hillis and Maksimovich had the assists on that goal.
Cincinnati’s Brandon Puricelli scored next at 11:53 after a puck floated past the goal line behind Mitchell Weeks.
Less than a minute later, Martin got his second goal of the game to put the Fuel up 2-1. Captain Seamus Malone had the sole assist on that goal.
2ND PERIOD
At 2:35, Indy’s Victor Hadfield took the game’s first penalty for high sticking but the Fuel killed it off. Puricelli took Cincy’s first penalty of the game next with an interference call at 11:08.
As that penalty ended, the Fuel went back to the power play after a delay of game penalty on Cincinnati’s Zack Andrusiak. At 14:56, Bilek capitalized on the power play with a goal assisted by Bryan Lemos and Hillis.
At 15:28, Santino Centorame took a hooking penalty, giving Cincinnati a power play; however, Indy killed it off again.
With less than ten seconds to go, Sean Allen took a slashing penalty that would carry over into the third frame.
At the end of the second period, the Fuel were up 4-1, outshooting the Cyclones 32-11.
3RD PERIOD
After time expired on the Allen penalty, Indy’s Chris Cameron took a hooking penalty at 3:01 but the score remained the same.
Both teams had chances as time ticked down on regulation before Indy’s Brett Bulmer and Cincy’s Ben Hawerchuk dropped the gloves and earned offsetting fighting majors. Hawerchuk earned an additional roughing minor penalty, giving the Fuel a late power play opportunity.
Neither team scored with the remaining time and the Fuel eventually won 4-1 for their first win over the Cyclones this season.
The Indy Fuel are back in action at Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Friday, March 1 for our International Women’s Month Celebration against the Iowa Heartlanders.
Originally posted on indyfuelhockey.com