Clarke Lifts Fuel over Komets in Overtime
December 11, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Indy Fuel News Release
FORT WAYNE, IND. - With one flick of the wrist forward Dylan Clarke brought the Indy Fuel's winless streak to a screeching halt. The forward's perfectly-placed shot 2:16 into sudden-death overtime propelled the Fuel (10-11-2-0) to a 3-2 road victory over the Fort Wayne Komets (10-8-1-0) Friday night at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The win ended a tough 0-8-1-0 stretch for Indy, and was the club's first since a Nov. 21 triumph over the Quad City Mallards.
Clarke's goal came on the only shot during the 3-on-3 extra session. The veteran forward picked up a loose puck in the Komets end, skated the length of the ice and fired one past goaltender Pat Nagle's glove hand side to grab his sixth goal of the season. With the win Indy evened the season series with Fort Wayne at two victories apiece, with the two teams finishing a home-and-home series tomorrow night at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
The Fuel and Komets traded goals in both the first and second period, with overtime becoming necessary after a scoreless third period. It was the second-straight meeting in Fort Wayne between the in-state rivals that extended past regulation time; the Komets grabbed a 6-5 overtime win back on Oct. 24 in their previous outing at the War Memorial.
Nikita Kashirsky opened the scoring for the home team 10:29 into the first period when he jumped on a rebound created from a 3-on-2 rush.
Cody Sharib had an answer for the Fuel at 16:03, picking up a second-chance opportunity of his own. After a Rhett Bly shot was fought off by Nagle, Sharib swooped in from the left wing and popped the loose puck over the net minder's shoulder. The rookie's seventh tally of the season tied the game at one heading into the intermission.
The order of scoring was reversed in the second period, with Fort Wayne finding a quick equalizer to an Indy go-ahead goal. Alex Lavoie netted his seventh of the year on a beautiful unassisted rush at 9:53, barreling down the right wall and threading a shot under the crossbar from the bottom of the faceoff circle.
The 2-1 Fuel lead only lasted 2:43 before Fort Wayne defenseman Will Weber beat goaltender Mac Carruth to the five-hole in transition.
Carruth responded with a gutsy third-period performance, stopping all 12 Komets offerings in the last 20 minutes - highlighted by a pair of grade-A saves in the waning moments of regulation. The goaltender turned aside 28 of 30 shots on the night, picking up his fifth victory of the season. Nagle recorded 28 saves en route to picking up the overtime loss.
Indy's power play unit, coming into the night with a goal in a franchise-record five consecutive games, was held scoreless on six chances, including an extended 4-on-3 advantage in the third period. The Fuel killed off the only Komets man advantage they faced.
The two clubs face-off again Saturday night in Indy to cap off the weekend doubleheader, with a puck drop scheduled for 7:35 p.m.
Next Home Game: Saturday, December 12 vs. Fort Wayne Komets - 7:35 p.m. One of the best traditions in minor league hockey arrives in the Circle City during the Fuel's first-ever Teddy Bear Toss! Bring a stuffed animal (or several!) to Indiana Farmers Coliseum, and throw the furry friends onto the ice after the Fuel score their first goal against the Komets. All of the cuddly collected creatures will be donated to local children for the holidays as a part of the RTV6 Toy Drive.
Single-game tickets are now on sale at Ticketmaster or at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum box office, while a variety of different ticket plans and group specials are available by calling (317) 925-FUEL or visiting IndyFuelHockey.com. Don't miss out on anything from the Fuel in 2015-16, follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@IndyFuel) and don't forget to 'Like' the Fuel on Facebook.
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