by Reggie Edwards
The Indy Fuel were looking to both keep the momentum going as well as to avenge a recent loss when they welcomed the Fort Wayne Komets back to Indianapolis Friday night. They were coming off a big win Tuesday against Kansas City but, before that, they had dropped a tough road game at Fort Wayne last weekend.
The game was just as you would expect from two in-state rivals who were neck-and-neck in the Central Division and Playoff race. Fort Wayne came into the weekend showdown just two games ahead of Indy- both teams with 19 wins but Fort Wayne with two-less losses.
The game was just as physical as expected with players down on the ice just minutes into the game as the 1st Period saw three four penalties early-on and it was clear the Komets weren’t going to make it easy on the Fuel, closing the opening Period at a 0-0 tie.
The intensity escalated in the 2nd Period with Josh Shalla scoring a quick goal at 14:49 off an assist from Quentin Shore and Robert Powers but the Komets countered with two goals of their own.
Things started to get heated late in the Period, though with loads of fists being thrown, pushes going around and blood, which found multiple players heading to the Penalty Box, setting the stage for a 3rd Period that wouldn’t disappoint with the Komets barely holding onto a 2-1 lead.
Just minutes into the 3rd, Shalla scored a goal to tie it at 2 and then things got fun. Emotions had already been running high- fans and players alike- and it got the best of the players as a Komets possession turned into an all-out brawl that left Zach Miskovic bloody.
Things just escalated from there when a fight later on found three Komets players in the penalty box for continuing to fight after an altercation- getting 10 min. in the Box as well as two Fuel players and the game stopped for a considerable amount of time while the officials tried to regain order on the ice.
After three periods of play, the game still wasn’t decided so things went to Overtime, which was only perfect for a way to end this game but it unfortunately didn’t last long as the Komets scored a go-ahead goal just 10 seconds into OT to put a damper on the Fuel’s hopes.
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