Feisty Battle Goes to Fuel in Overtime

INDIANAPOLIS, IN- The Wheeling Nailers and Indy Fuel played a spirited and tightly contested game on Wednesday night, which featured a fight, a couple of ejections, and both teams getting a point in the standings. Wheeling's Austin Fyten and Indy's Willie Raskob lit the lamp in regulation, as goaltenders François Brassard and Dan Bakala were both excellent between the pipes. However, it was Indy who emerged with the extra point, as Antoine Waked finished off an odd-man rush in overtime for the 2-1 win.

For the second consecutive game, some fireworks got things going for the Nailers, as Evan Wardley dropped the gloves with Ross Olsson, and ultimately put Wheeling on the power play. While on the man advantage, Michael Pelech made a centering pass to Sean Josling, which got bounced around in the slot, before it eventually got swatted into the net on the backhand by Austin Fyten.

The animosity between the two rivals continued into the middle frame of the eighth head-to-head meeting of the campaign. An altercation between Wardley and former Nailer Cédric Lacroix led to some 4-on-4 play, and that's when the Fuel drew even. Willie Raskob twirled around at the blueline, before catching a head of steam and motoring into the right circle, where he shot against the grain and found the twine on the left side.

Defense and goaltending were fantastic throughout the contest, and both sides were held off of the scoreboard in the third period, as overtime was required to decide a winner.

At the 1:52 mark of the extra session, Indy picked up the victory. Michael McNicholas glided in on the right side of the offensive zone, then chipped a pass through the slot to Antoine Waked, who wristed the winning strike into the top-left corner of the goal for a 2-1 Fuel triumph.

Dan Bakala earned the victory for Indy, as he stopped 27 of the 28 shots he faced. François Brassard turned in a solid effort for Wheeling, as he made 21 saves on 23 shots in the overtime defeat.

The Nailers will play three games on home ice this weekend. Wheeling will host Fort Wayne on Friday and Saturday at 7:10, before welcoming Indy to town on Sunday at 4:10. A limited number of tickets are available for Wheeling Nailers home games, and season memberships and flex packs are also available. To purchase yours or to get more information, visit wheelingnailers.com or call (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.F