Indy Has Historic Night In 9-6 Win Over Cincinnati
December 31, 2022 - ECHL (ECHL)
Indy Fuel News Release
INDIANAPOLIS- The Fuel hosted the Cincinnati Cyclones for Scooby-Doo Night wearing specialty jerseys, in front of a sold out crowd of 6,551 fans, the most in the Fuel's history. Cincinnati got off to a quick start but it was ultimately the Fuel who took the game 9-6, matching their franchise high in goals scored in one game.
The Cyclones were quick to score with Matt Berry getting a puck past Driscoll just 52 seconds into the game. Cincy dominated possession early in the period but with a double minor penalty assessed to Matthew Cairns, the Fuel were able to even out the scoring attempts.
About six minutes after their first goal, the Cyclones struck again. This time, it was Lee Lapid who put them up 2-0.
Ten minutes later, Fuel captain Keoni Texeira swatted the puck in to get Indy on the board with the help of Kale Howarth and Bryan Lemos.
At 2:22 of the second period, Andrew Perrott caught a breakaway pass and evened the score. This was Perrott's first pro goal. It was only a few minutes later that the Cyclones' Cairns scored, making it 3-2.
Jalen Smereck was called for high-sticking about halfway through the second period and Spencer Watson was able to capitalize, scoring his 80th goal as a member of the Fuel, tying the franchise Fuel record held by Joshua Shalla for most goals. This tied the game 3-3.
Less than two minutes later, Seamus Malone gave the Fuel their first lead of the game with a power play goal assisted by Spencer Watson and Texeira. Zack Andrusiak quickly fired back for Cincinnati and tied the game.
With under two minutes to go in the period, Zach Berzolla scored to put the Cyclones up again 5-4. By the end of the second period, the Fuel were outshooting the Cyclones 22-18 despite being down by one.
Louie Caporusso opened the scoring in the third period to make it 6-4, but Chad Yetman didn't wait long to get one back, making it 6-5 and extending his point streak to ten games as well as his goal streak to five games.
Bryan Lemos tied it up less than two minutes later with the help of Spencer Watson and Alex Wideman. Less than a minute after that Malone tallied his second goal of the night to put the Fuel up 7-6.
Both teams engaged in some pushing and shoving before Lemos got his second goal of the game to put the Fuel up 8-6. Some more pushing and shoving ensued but Driscoll kept control of the crease and didn't allow any more goals.
Cincinnati pulled their goaltender with just over a minute to go in the game and Malone scored the empty net goal to put the game away for the Fuel, completing the hat trick and tying a Fuel franchise record of most goals scored in a game with nine goals.
This was Malone's first career hat trick. The Fuel took their first win this season over the Cyclones 9-6, gaining two points in the standings on Cincy to give them sole ownership of first place in the division again.
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