Zach Driscoll posted his first career shutout while Chris Van Os Shaw registered his first career hat trick in a 6-0 loss for the Cyclones in Indy Friday night.
For just the second time this season, the 'Clones have lost consecutive games in regulation, falling to 20-8-4-2. They sit seven points back of the Fuel, who improved to 26-10-1-0.
- Indy struck first on home ice 7:12 into the first, with Kale Howarth crashing the net of Beck Warm to give the Fuel an early 1-0 lead. Chad Yetman carried the puck in from the right wing side before whipping it to Howarth in the paint for the Indy goal.
- A frenetic second period saw 50 penalty minutes assessed as the inner-division intensity between Cincinnati and Indy resulted in a pair of fights, with Zach Berzolla dropping the gloves against Chris Cameron, who later in the period fought Zack Andrusiak in a long battle that was eventually stopped by the linesmen. In the midst of the chaos came a pair of Fuel goals late to give Indy a 3-0 lead going into the third.
- Seamus Malone scored in front on Warm by getting a piece of a shot taken by Nate Pionk 15:21 into the second period. Less than three minutes later, the Fuel were awarded a power play that Van Os Shaw capitalized on, making it 3-0 and starting his eventful night, as the rookie notched his first career hat trick with two goals in the third. Spencer Watson also scored in the third period. Van Os Shaw wired his third of the game with one minute remaining, giving the Fuel a 6-0 win.
- On a different night, the Cyclones may have earned a better fate, as chances left and right were stopped by Zach Driscoll, including a shorthanded breakaway by Josh Passolt late in the second, in-tight first period chances from both Louie Caporusso and Matt Berry, along with seven power play opportunities for the Cyclones. Driscoll made 34 saves, while Warm turned aside 31 shots.
- Cincinnati travels to Kalamazoo next, where they'll sit idle Saturday before playing an afternoon tilt against the Wings on Sunday.
