The Indy Fuel fell 4-1 to the Toledo Walleye on Saturday night at the Fishers Event Center, where a sellout crowd gathered for the second consecutive night. Despite a late goal from Ryan Orgel to spoil Toledo’s shutout bid, the Walleye maintained control from start to finish in their first visit to the Fuel’s new home.
First Period
Toledo wasted no time taking the lead, with Colin Swoyer finding the back of the net just 35 seconds into the game. Indy had an early penalty to kill off at 3:15 when Nathan Burke was called for high-sticking, and the Fuel’s penalty kill succeeded in keeping the score close.
The period ended with a heated exchange as Chris Cameron and Chaz Reddekopp dropped the gloves after the whistle, earning matching roughing penalties to carry over into the second period. Indy outshot Toledo 7-6 in the opening frame but trailed 1-0.
Second Period
Toledo extended its lead at 6:56 when Jalen Smereck scored to make it 2-0. Brandon Hawkins added another goal at 13:16, increasing the lead to 3-0.
Indy had back-to-back power-play opportunities late in the period after Tyler Spezia and Reddekopp were called for roughing penalties. However, Toledo’s penalty kill continued to shine, keeping the Fuel off the board as the second period ended with the Walleye up 3-0.
Third Period
Hawkins struck again just 52 seconds into the final frame, netting his second goal of the game to make it 4-0. The Fuel had several chances to cut into the deficit, including a power play at 1:56 following a Smereck penalty, but they failed to convert.
The period devolved into chaos midway through, with multiple skirmishes resulting in a flurry of penalties. A major brawl at 10:50 saw five players penalized, including a 10-minute misconduct for Smereck. Another fight at 14:50 sent Cameron and Reddekopp to the box for five minutes each, followed shortly by a scrap between Nathan Noel and Dalton Messina, which resulted in additional fighting penalties.
With tensions easing late in the period, the Fuel finally broke through at 19:40 when Orgel scored his first goal with the team, assisted by Spencer Watson. Toledo outshot Indy 23-20 and left the Fishers Event Center with a decisive 4-1 victory.
Up Next
The Fuel will look to bounce back on New Year’s Eve as they travel to Cincinnati for a showdown with the Cyclones. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET. Fans can follow all the action on the Fuel’s social media channels and broadcast platforms.
