Fuel Fall to Rush in Rapid City on Friday Night
Published on January 9, 2026 under ECHL (ECHL)
Indy Fuel News Release
RAPID CITY - The Indy Fuel visited the Rapid City Rush on Friday for the first of a three-game set. Despite massively outshooting the Rush, the Fuel could not score after the first period and fell to the Rush on Friday night.
1ST PERIOD
The Fuel dominated most of the first period, putting up ten shots on the Rush before they could record one. However, it was Rapid City who scored first after Matt Petgrave took a hooking penalty at 17:15.
Ryan Wagner scored the goal for Rapid City to put them up 1-0 at 17:54. The Fuel answered back quickly though, with a goal by Sahil Panwar less than thirty seconds later. Mike Van Unen, who was traded to Indy from Rapid City in December, had the lone assist on that goal.
At the end of the first period, Indy was outshooting Rapid City, 16-4.
2ND PERIOD
The Fuel went back to the penalty kill again after Owen Robinson took a holding the stick penalty at 13:15. It was killed off.
Rapid City's Chaz Smedsrud took a hooking call at 16:45, putting Indy back on the power play. The Rush were able to kill it off.
After two frames, the Fuel were outshooting the Rush, 28-12.
3RD PERIOD
At 6:01, Dustin Manz took an interference penalty, putting the Fuel back on the penalty kill. Indy was able to kill it off.
The Fuel headed to the power play next after a tripping penalty was called on Rasmus Ekström at 8:33, but once again it was killed off.
Ryan Chyzowski scored for Rapid City at 11:39 to put the Rush up 2-1 late in the game.
With 2:33 to go, Ekström returned to the box after a hooking call. This put the Fuel on an important, late-game power play. With 36 seconds to go in the game, and 12 seconds in the power play, the Fuel took a timeout.
Goaltender Mitchell Weeks did not return to the net, giving Indy a 6-on-4 advantage. Time expired on the penalty but the Fuel kept the pressure on until Brett Davis was able to poke the puck away and score a late empty-net goal.
This made it 3-1, which would be the final score in favor of Rapid City, despite the Fuel setting a new single-game shot record this season with 47. The Rush recorded 16.
These two teams face off again tomorrow night in the middle game of a three-game set this weekend.
Don't forget to follow the Fuel on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube for news, updates, contests and much more.
--INDYFUELHOCKEY.COM--
ECHL Stories from January 9, 2026
- Gargoyles Gone Fishing in 5-3 Win at Idaho - Greensboro Gargoyles
- Steelheads Stumble in 5-3 Defeat to Gargoyles - Idaho Steelheads
- Americans Blank Thunder on Margaritaville Night - Allen Americans
- Knight Monsters Rally the Troops for 6-3 Win on Opening Night of Military Weekend - Tahoe Knight Monsters
- Mavericks Stack 8-Game Win Streak - Kansas City Mavericks
- Preview: Royals vs. Mariners, January 10th - Game 33/72 - Reading Royals
- Fuel Fall to Rush in Rapid City on Friday Night - Indy Fuel
- Murphy Stonewalls Indy, Rush Win Second Straight - Rapid City Rush
- McCarthy Records Point in Return to Reading, Royals Earn Point in Overtime Loss to Mariners, 4-3 - Reading Royals
- Oilers Edged by Mavericks in One-Goal Loss - Tulsa Oilers
- Ghost Pirates Defeat Gladiators, 5-2, at Gas South Arena - Atlanta Gladiators
- Cyclones Drop Friday Night Contest Against The Komets - Cincinnati Cyclones
- IceCats' Weekend Opens with 4-1 Loss to Florida - Worcester Railers HC
- Komets Outlast Cyclones - Fort Wayne Komets
- 10-Game Win Streak Comes to an End as Walleye Fall 2-1 to Iowa - Toledo Walleye
- Nailers Rally Back to Top Lions, 4-3 - Wheeling Nailers
- Jeri-Leon Nets Game Winner, Rousseau Stops 29 to Backstop Iowa to 2-1 Win - Iowa Heartlanders
- Lions Put up Strong Fight But Drop Opening Match - Trois-Rivieres Lions
- Kalmikov's Overtime Winner Caps Comeback in Reading - Maine Mariners
- Admirals Roll Past Adirondack for Third Straight Victory - Norfolk Admirals
- Ghost Pirates Extend Win Streak to Four with 5-2 Road Win in Atlanta - Savannah Ghost Pirates
- Thunder Win Streak Ends in 6-1 Loss to Admirals - Adirondack Thunder
- ECHL Transactions - January 9 - ECHL
- David Gagnon Recalled to Chicago - Greensboro Gargoyles
- McKay Signs PTO with Rockford IceHogs - Bloomington Bison
- Grizzlies Gameday: First Meeting vs Tahoe this Season - January 9, 2026 - Utah Grizzlies
- Knight Monsters Add SPHL Defenseman Brendan Dowler - Tahoe Knight Monsters
- Officials Named for 2026 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic - ECHL
- Cameron Whitehead Reassigned to Henderson Silver Knights - Tahoe Knight Monsters
- Rush Add Ryan Kuzmich, Doug Scott from SPHL - Rapid City Rush
- Swamp Rabbits Engage in Flurry of Transactions Ahead of Weekend - Greenville Swamp Rabbits
- Royals Sign Former Royal, Collegeville, PA Native Chris McCarthy to SPC - Reading Royals
- Canucks (AHL) Recall Defenseman Derek Daschke - Kalamazoo Wings
- Rush Game Notes: January 9, 2026 vs. Indy Fuel - Rapid City Rush
- Game Day Preview: Margaritaville Night in DFW - Allen Americans
- Blades Begin Three-Game Road Swing against Railers - Florida Everblades
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
