The Indy Fuel wrapped up their opening weekend at home Saturday night, falling 4–1 to the Toledo Walleye in front of the home crowd at the Fishers Event Center. Despite controlling much of the pace and outshooting Toledo 26–23, the Fuel couldn’t overcome a strong Walleye special-teams performance that included two shorthanded goals.

The first period set the tone for a physical matchup. At 9:28, former Fuel forward Darby Llewellyn dropped the gloves with Indy’s Jadon Joseph, earning both five-minute majors for fighting. Less than a minute later, Toledo’s Sam Craggs took a penalty to give Indy its first power play, but the Walleye penalty kill held strong. The period ended scoreless, with the Fuel holding an 8–5 edge in shots.

The intensity carried into the second period. Toledo’s Collin Sawyer was assessed a five-minute major for an illegal check to the head midway through the frame, but Indy couldn’t convert on the extended advantage. Llewellyn made his presence felt again at 16:05, scoring a shorthanded goal to give Toledo a 1–0 lead. The Walleye held that advantage through the end of the period despite being outshot 10–8.

Toledo extended its lead in the third. After several early penalty kills by both teams, the Walleye’s Denis Smirnov found the net twice in quick succession — first on a power play at 13:02, then again just over a minute later following a boarding penalty on Indy’s Lee Lapid. That made it 3–0.

Things unraveled further for the Fuel when Llewellyn went to the box for slashing at 15:17. Instead of cutting the deficit, Indy gave up its second shorthanded goal of the night as Nolan Moyle scored to make it 4–0 Toledo.

The Fuel salvaged a late tally when Brett Moravec scored on the power play with 36 seconds remaining, assisted by Lapid and Joseph. The goal brought the final to 4–1, marking Indy’s first loss of the young season.

Indy finished with a 26–23 edge in shots on goal and showed flashes of offensive pressure throughout the game, but the Walleye’s penalty killing and opportunistic scoring made the difference.

The Fuel are having a rough start this season with two home losses and scoring the first goal in two games in the final minute Saturday after the game was essentially decided.

The Fuel will look to regroup as they continue their early-season schedule, with a home game Saturday, October 25, facing the Cincinnati Cyclones.