BISON POWERPLAY STRIKES AGAIN IN 3-1 LOSS TO FUEL
BISON POWERPLAY STRIKES AGAIN IN 3-1 LOSS TO FUEL
By: Erik Konwinski, Bloomington Bison
Bloomington, IL – The Bison killed five penalties and Riku Ishida scored his team-leading fifth goal on the powerplay but Bloomington fell 3-1 to the Indy Fuel at Grossinger Motors Arena Saturday. Physicality that began with 80 combined penalty minutes between the two teams Friday carried into Saturday’s contest. Bloomington was tasked with three penalty kills in the first period, and Indy struck just 20 seconds into its first powerplay to go up 1-0. Bloomington killed off the next two other penalty kill chances and escaped the period in a one-goal game. Dryden McKay looked sharp in his return to the Bison crease after being acquired in a trade with Utah earlier in the week, saving 10 of the 11 shots he faced in the frame.
Special teams stood strong in the second stanze, and Bloomington killed off a carryover penalty to begin the second. Following the kill, Bloomington looked to tie the game, only for the goal to be disallowed due to goaltender interference. With momentum starting to shift, the Bison capitalized on their first power play chance off a double-minor high-sticking infraction. Ishida netted a one-timer set up by Kyle Jackson and Shane Ott with around six minutes remaining. Jackson notched his team-high 11th point on the goal. McKay fended off all 13 shots he faced in the second, including a breakaway chance in the dying seconds of the frame, as the game headed to the third knotted 1-1.
Back-and-forth play started out in the third and it looked like the Fuel retook the lead three minutes in, only for the goal to be waved off. The Bison were simultaneously awarded their third power play opportunity as it was deemed that Indy scored on the delayed call. Bloomington later killed off its fifth penaltyand the game remained deadlocked until Indy potted the go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal with just over five minutes remaining. The Fuel added insurance with an empty-net goal to close out the weekend home-and-home series. Ishida remains tied for the ECHL lead in powerplay goals.
Bloomington looks to get back in the win column Sunday afternoon in Kalamazoo against the Wings with puck drop at 2 p.m. central time.
The Bison return to Grossinger Motors Arena Friday, November 14 at 7 p.m. against the Iowa Heartlanders for a 309 Night featuring $3 Busch Lights, $0 popcorn and $9 specialty T-shirts! Single-game tickets are now available for ALL Bloomington Bison home games starting as low as $20! Visit ticketmaster.com or call 309-965-HERD to purchase tickets today.
