Fuel Fall Short in Wheeling Despite Strong Second Period Surge

LarryInFishers.com

The Indy Fuel wrapped up their weekend road trip with a tough 5-2 loss to the Wheeling Nailers on Saturday night at WesBanco Arena. Despite a strong second period that cut Wheeling’s early three-goal lead to one, the Fuel couldn’t complete the comeback.

1st Period: Nailers Strike Early and Often

The Nailers wasted no time taking control of the game. Kyle Jackson opened the scoring just over five minutes in, assisted by Matty De St. Phalle and Jack Beck. Six minutes later, David Jankowski doubled Wheeling’s lead with help from Jackson and De St. Phalle.

Tensions flared between the long-time rivals, but no penalties were assessed as players exchanged shoves and heated words. Atley Calvert’s tally at 16:30, following De St. Phalle’s third point of the night on an assist, made it 3-0 for the Nailers.

Although Indy outshot Wheeling 12-11 in the opening frame, they headed into the first intermission trailing by three.

2nd Period: Fuel Spark a Comeback Attempt

The Fuel found life early in the second period. At 2:38, Matus Spodniak found the back of the net with his first goal of the season from a sharp angle, assisted by Gagnier and Lombardi.

Just over six minutes later, Colin Bilek capitalized on a second chance opportunity to pull Indy within one at 8:53. Kyle Maksimovich and Jalen Luypen earned the assists on the play.

The period was punctuated by penalties and physical play, but neither team could capitalize on special teams. The Fuel continued to dominate the shot count, outshooting Wheeling 24-15 through two periods.

3rd Period: Wheeling Shuts the Door

The final frame saw both teams trade chances early, but the Nailers struck the decisive blow at 13:57 when Jackson scored his second goal of the night to put Wheeling up 4-2.

The Fuel pulled goaltender Strauss Mann in favor of an extra attacker late in the game, but Wheeling’s Lou-Felix Houde sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 17:30. Despite a late two-man advantage for Indy, the Nailers held on for the victory.

Key Takeaways

  • Fuel’s Resilience: After a rough first period, Indy showed grit in the second, cutting the lead to one and controlling much of the play.
  • Outshooting the Opponent: Indy held a 32-19 advantage in shots but struggled to solve Wheeling goaltender Taylor Gauthier.
  • Standout Performances: Wheeling’s Matty De St. Phalle had a standout night with three assists, while Kyle Jackson added two goals and an assist.