Wheeling Hands Indy First Loss of the Season
December 31, 2020 - ECHL (ECHL)
Indy Fuel News Release
INDIANAPOLIS - Closing out the calendar year with their fourth game against the Wheeling Nailers, the Fuel were looking to continue their five-game winning streak. Indy would see goals from Antoine Waked, Nic Pierog and Derek Barach but it would not be enough as Wheeling's Patrick Watling would pick up two goals on the night and lead the Nailers to a 4-3 win.
Controlling the first half of the opening period, Wheeling finished the period leading in shots 9-8. Earning a power play halfway through the first 20 minutes Indy would end up taking the lead when Derek Barach deflected a wrist shot by Spencer Watson. After seeing his team earn the go-ahead goal, Indy's Tom Aubrun would see several shots by Wheeling throughout the first but would hold off the Nailers and send the Fuel locker room leading by a goal.
After a slow start to the second period, the Nailers took over and earned themselves a two goal lead heading into the locker room. Seven minutes into the period, the Nailers' Patrick Watling would tie the game by taking advantage of a power-play advantage. Just one minute later, Wheeling's Brady Tomlak would score his first professional goal after having a puck deflect off of his back and beat Aubrun over the shoulder.
Earning the third goal of the game for the Nailers, Shane Kuzmeski fired a wrist shot from the point and beat a screened Aubrun. It would take until late in the second period for Indy to cut the deficit in half when Nic Pierog fired home a one-timer pass from Peter Krieger.
It would only take five minutes into the third period for the Nailers to double their lead again when an offensive zone turnover led to Patrick Watling scoring his second goal of the game by tapping in a pass from Sean Josling. Picking up his first goal in a Fuel uniform, Antoine Waked cut the Wheeling lead in half by putting home a pass from Willie Raskob. Waked's goal would be reviewed by the officials for a kick but it would be confirmed a good goal. Indy would have multiple chances at the end of the 3rd period but Wheeling's Shane Starrett would hold them off and earn Wheeling their first win of the season.
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