IceMen Rally, Finally Solve Fuel
November 6, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Indy Fuel News Release
Three unanswered goals lifts Evansville to 4-2 win over Indy EVANSVILLE, IN. - The Indy Fuel had been stringing victories together against the Evansville IceMen for nearly a year, but on Friday night at Ford Center it took only 38 seconds for the winning streak to unravel. The Fuel (4-3-2-1) fell victim to a pair of quick IceMen goals in the second period en route to a 4-2 defeat, their first loss against Evansville (2-4-0-0) since November 1, 2014.
The IceMen rallied from a 2-1 deficit to break the Fuel's streak of nine-straight wins in the in-state rivalry, picking up their first regulation win since the inaugural game between the two clubs on October 25 of last year. Two Evansville goals in a span of 38 seconds midway through the second turned the tide on Friday's contest, and was enough to help the IceMen salvage a split from a two-game set with Indy in Southern Indiana.
Tyson Fawcett started the rally for Evansville when he deked out Fuel goaltender Mac Carruth at the 9:53 mark of the second period to bring the game to a 2-2 tie. Catching a pass from linemate Ryan Penny in stride, Fawcett froze Carruth with a quick move and tucked home his second goal of the year.
The IceMen didn't wait to capitalize on their newfound momentum, as Daultan Leveille netted the go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal not even a minute later. Pouncing on an turnover in the Indy zone, Evansville's Sebastian Strandberg found Leveille breaking towards the net, who flipped the puck under the bar to give his team a 3-2 lead with his second goal of the season at 10:31.
Heading into the third period looking to wage a comeback of their own, the Fuel fell further behind when the IceMen struck again 22 seconds into the final frame. Alex Wideman made it 4-2 when he walked down the left wing and hammered a slap shot past Carruth, with the assist going to Matt Hussey. After pitching a 22-save shutout in Indy's 3-0 victory at Ford Center on Wednesday, Carruth took the loss Friday after stopping 23 of 27 shots faced.
While a resurgent offense gave the IceMen a chance to win, goaltender Christoffer Bengtsberg ensured the victory with a superb 29-save performance. Bengtsberg turned aside all 18 shots he faced in the second and third periods to grab his first win of the season.
The only imperfections on Bengtsberg's night came via two of the Fuel's hottest performers of late, as Dylan Clarke and Ben Marshall combined to give Indy a 2-1 lead the first. After Evansville's Troy Rutkowski opened the scoring with a seeing-eye shot from the point 2:19 into play, it was Clarke who tied the game on Indy's first power play of the contest. Bengtsberg made two impressive saves as the Fuel collapsed to the net with the man advantage, but an unmarked Clarke was able to easily deposit a loose puck in the slot for his team-leading fifth goal of the season. The veteran forward has scored in two-straight games and four of his previous five, a stretch over which he has eight points (4g, 4a).
After picking up an assist on Clarke's goal, Marshall picked up his third-consecutive multi-point performance when his first professional goal gave the Fuel a 2-1 lead late in the period. The rookie defenseman found a soft spot in the offensive zone and blasted a one timer courtesy of Daniel Ciampini past Bengtsberg at 17:38 of the opening frame. With seven points (1g, 6a) now on the season, all but one assist coming in his last three games, Marshall finds himself second in the ECHL in scoring among first-year blueliners. The product of the University of Minnesota becomes the first player in Fuel history to record more than one point in three-straight games.
The Fuel, who have been on the road for six of their first eight games this season, will now play four of their next five at home, beginning on Saturday against the Midwest Division-leading Quad City Mallards. Face-off at Indiana Farmers Coliseum is set for 7:35 p.m.
ECHL Stories from November 6, 2015
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