Fuel Keep Point Streak Alive in Shootout Loss to Komets
April 2, 2017 - ECHL (ECHL)
Indy Fuel News Release
INDIANAPOLIS - Returning home following their most successful road trip of the season that included a 3-games' win streak, the Indy Fuel, in an all-out effort, battled the Fort Wayne Komets to a shootout before the visitors gained the extra point in a 5-4 result Saturday night at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
The men of the Fuel were gallant as they overcame an early second period 2-0 deficit with a 3-goals' rally, sparked by a pair of strikes fired by center Mike Neal in 2:45 to equalize the affair at 2-2. Then Neal, acclaimed the game's #1 Star, set-up Josh Shalla on the first of 2-Indy PPG at 19:59 of the same frame to vault the Fuel into their first lead of the night after 40-minutes at 3-2. Shalla's goal was his 31st of the season and his 11th in 9-games against the Fort Wayners.
In the third period, the Komets rallied twice to tie it. The second GTG came after the Fuel's Jake Marchment made connection on his club's second PPG of the night to lift Indy back on top at 4-3. Mike Cazzola knotted it for the K's late in the same stanza at 15:29 to set the stage for the third extra time game between the two arch-rivals this season.
Following a scoreless overtime, the Komets proceeded to outscore the Fuel in the shootout, 2-1 with Mike Embach delivering the game winner on his club's 5th shot. Nick Bligh accounted for the Fuel's lone goal.
Fort Wayne outshot the Fuel, 47-26 while both teams power plays percolated. The Fuel were 2-3; the Komets were 2-4.
With his 3-points tonight, Neal has now registered 9-goals, 10-assists 19-points in his last 9-games. His line-mate Matt Rupert earned 3-assists while Kenny Ryan assisted twice.
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