It wasn’t a sellout like Friday for the home opener and first hockey game in Fishers Event Center, but Saturday’s crowd of 6,311 was just short of selling out.  Unfortunately, the loud and boisterous fans could not push the Fuel to a win, losing on overtime 2-1.

Andrew McLean of the Iowa Heartlanders scored a goal with just over 32 seconds remaining in overtime, ending the contest.  It had been a night of defense, penalty killing and goaltending finesse, but the Fuel came up just short in the overtime period.  Had the 7 minute extra stanza ended in a tie, the game would have been decided by a shootout, but McLean’s goal ended that possibility.

The Fuel’s Darby Llewellyn was quick to score with just seconds gone in Period 1. In Period 2, Iowa’s Lincoln Erne lit the lamp was just over 15 minutes to go, tying the score at 1-1.  Penalties were handed out over fisticuffs in the Period 2, and another fracas broke out after the horn sounded ending the period.

Period 3 featured no scoring by either team, but it took a video replay to wave-off a possible goal by Iowa.

This overtime loss brings the Fuel record to 8-7-1 for the season.  The OT loss does allow the Fuel to score one point in the standings.  The Fuel host the Allen Americans Friday and the Kalamazoo Wings Saturday, December 13 & 14, at the Fishers Events Center.