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ECHL Indy Fuel

Fuel Shut Down IceMen for Second-Consecutive Win

October 18, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Indy Fuel News Release


EVANSVILLE, IN. - While they needed overtime and a shootout to reel in two points Friday at their home opener, the ECHL's Indy Fuel (2-0-0-0) took care of business in regulation time Saturday night in a 3-1 victory over the Evansville IceMen (0-1-0-0) at Ford Center. While the IceMen rallied late, a 33-save performance from goaltender Mac Carruth and another superb game from the Fuel's power play and penalty kill units were enough to earn their second-straight win to start the 2015-16 season.

In his first start of the young campaign, Carruth stopped all but one of Evansville's 34 shots on goal, including 14 saves in the third period when the IceMen were staging a late push. The netminder's effort was a key part of another strong outing for Indy's shorthanded contingent, who killed off five of six Evansville power plays faced. A third-period IceMen goal from Joe Zarbo was the only blemish on the night, and also the season, for the Fuel penalty killers, who have now thwarted eight of nine power play chances through two games.

Before Carruth and his defensive cohorts withstood the late Evansville push, Indy built a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Alex Lavoie and Kyle Stroh. Lavoie drew first blood over halfway through the game when he converted a perfect feed from Daniel Ciampini at 12:11 of the second. Driving down the left wing toward IceMen goaltender Scott Greenham (26 saves), Ciampini waited until the last possible second to slide the puck to a waiting Lavoie on the far post, who cashed in for his first goal of the season. The goal continued Lavoie's torrid start to the season, who picked up two goals and the shootout winner in Friday's 3-2 victory over the Toledo Walleye.

The Fuel doubled their lead early in the third when Stroh found the net on the power play at the 1:05 mark. Just off of the ensuing draw after Jonathan Carlsson got the gate for interference, Stroh found a soft spot on the left circle and ripped a wrist shot past Greenham. Indy finished the game 1-for-2 with the man advantage, and have scored twice in three chances overall this season.

After Zarbo struck on the man advantage with just under five minutes left in regulation, Ciampini put the game back out of reach when he added the insurance marker in the game's final seconds, as Greenham was on the bench in lieu of an extra attacker.

In what was the first of 11 meetings between the Fuel and IceMen, not much for offense was found within the game's first 30 minutes. There was plenty of physicality, however, with post-whistle jockeying becoming a routine occurrence. Indy forward Dylan Clarke found himself in the center of the animosity, dropping the gloves not once, but twice - challenging Carlsson in the first period and Vincent Dunn late in the second.

Indy continues an early four-game road swing next weekend, when they make their first visit of the season to the Memorial Coliseum for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader with the Fort Wayne Komets. Puck drop on Friday is scheduled for 8 p.m.

In 2015-16, the Indy Fuel drop the puck on their second season in the ECHL. 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 www.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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