ECHL Game Recap: Cincinnati Cyclones vs Indy Fuel l 01/18/25

The Cincinnati Cyclones visited the Fishers Event Center for the first time in team history on Saturday night, facing off against their Central Division opponent Indy Fuel. Before the game, the Cyclones trailed the Fuel and Bison by five points (or 2.5 games), setting the stage for a huge Central Division matchup on Star Wars night in Fishers, Indiana.

The Cyclones enjoyed a convincing victory Friday night over the Maine Mariners, winning 6-1, with Chas Sharpe and Tristan Ashbrook each scoring two goals. The Cyclones’ defense was impressive, holding the Mariners to just 10 shots throughout the night, marking their best defensive performance of the season. On the other hand, the Fuel also won Friday night, shutting out the Kalamazoo Wings 4-0, with Kevin Lombardi scoring two goals and goaltender Ben Gaudreau earning a shutout.

Cincinnati started Pavel Cajan in goal, while Indy had Ben Gaudreau between the pipes. Notably, the Fuel opted for 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the second consecutive night.

First Period:

The Cyclones came out on fire in the first period. Just 2:12 in, they capitalized on an odd-man rush after a steal. Mathieu Gosselin took advantage of the opportunity and fired a wrist shot into an open net, beating Gaudreau and giving Cincinnati an early 1-0 lead.

At 8:03 into the period, Ryan McCleary from Cincinnati was sent to the penalty box for high-sticking, giving the Fuel a chance on the power play. However, the Cyclones’ two penalty killing units were stellar, blocking several shots and intercepting passes, managing to kill off the penalty without much trouble. Just a few minutes later, at 11:26, McCleary was back in the box again for tripping Cam Hausinger at the Fuel’s blue line. Once again, the Cyclones handled the pressure well, allowing no shots on goal during the two minutes. The Fuel did not back down, though, as Bryan Lemos eventually evened the game at 1-1 by sniping a puck past Cajan’s right blocker.

Immediately following that goal, the Cyclones got their first crack on the power play when Nathan Burke was penalized for tripping. They took advantage of this, regaining the lead as Chas Sharpe fired a shot from way outside, with Dante Sheriff completing a perfect screen on Gaudreau, allowing it to sneak in.

The first period ended with the Cyclones up 2-1, and they also led in shots on goal, 11-7.

Second Period:

The Fuel came out of the intermission flying, holding most of the offensive zone possession for the first few minutes. Eventually, this led to Jordan Martin tipping in a shot from outside that beat Cajan at 5:09 of the second, evening the game at 2-2.

Around eight minutes in, Chris Dodero of Cincinnati was robbed by Ben Gaudreau, as he snagged a backhanded shot from him, keeping it tied 2-2.

Later on, Mathieu Gosselin scored from an unreal angle, sending the puck between Gaudreau’s arm, giving Cincinnati a 3-2 lead with nine minutes left in the second. This was his second goal of the game, after lighting the lamp early in the first period to get things going.

This game continued to go back and forth, as Bryan Lemos later scored his second goal of the game on a slick forehand to backhand move through the five-hole of Cajan, evening the game at 3-3 heading into the second intermission.

Third Period:

As the final twenty minutes began, it was chippy on the ice, with both teams laying checks into the boards. Play was back and forth in each team’s zone until Darby Llewellyn of Indy received an unnecessary holding penalty. This later led to coincidental penalties when Braeden Kressler was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, resulting in four-on-four play for two minutes. Shortly after, Nathan Burke was whistled for his second penalty of the night, this time for high-sticking, which came with a four-minute penalty. However, the Fuel’s penalty kill proved too strong for the Cyclones, as Ben Gaudreau made several key saves, leading to clears down the ice, successfully killing off the penalty. The game ultimately went into extra time, as neither team could score in the final minutes of regulation.

Overtime:

Just 55 seconds into overtime, Chas Sharpe of Cincinnati tripped a Fuel player at the blue line, sending the Fuel back on the power play for the third time. Unfortunately for the Cyclones, too many penalties cost them once again, as Cam Hausinger scored the game-winner by deflecting a shot from Alex Wideman. This gave the Fuel a 4-3 victory, allowing them to secure both points in the standings. While it’s not a total loss for Cincinnati, as they did earn a point, they would have preferred to leave Indy with two points in regulation, which was entirely possible.

This game was one of the most evenly matched contests I have seen this season and marked the second time this season that a game between these two teams has gone into overtime. The Cyclones owned the first period, but the second and third were more evenly matched due to the Fuel’s pressure. Many chances in the first were saved thanks to the stellar glove of Ben Gaudreau, who kept the Fuel within striking distance all game.

The Cyclones had opportunities to win if they had capitalized on their chances in the final minutes, especially during the four-minute power play late in the third period. After failing to take advantage of that, the momentum shifted in favor of the Fuel. After Chas Sharpe took a tripping penalty at the start of overtime, the Fuel unleashed a barrage of shots at Cajan while the Cyclones struggled to clear the puck down the ice, eventually leading to the game-winner.

The Cyclones will be back in action on Monday against the Toledo Walleye at home, for a matinee MLK Day matchup at 1:30 PM EST.