Injuries and player call-ups to the American Hockey League took a heavy toll on the Indy Fuel throughout the 2025-2026 season, forcing younger and less experienced players into key roles down the stretch. That group managed to push the team into the playoffs in the final days of the regular season, but the uphill climb proved too steep in the postseason.

The Fuel’s season came to an end Sunday night with a 4-0 loss to the Fort Wayne Komets in Game 5 of their opening-round series in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Komets take the best-of-seven series four games to one and advance to the next round.

Facing elimination on the road, Indy showed early signs of life despite falling behind. After earning the game’s first power play midway through the opening period, the Fuel generated pressure and outshot Fort Wayne 12-6 in the first 20 minutes. But it was the Komets who capitalized, with Logan Nelson scoring late in the period to give the home team a 1-0 lead.

The Fuel appeared poised to respond early in the second period with a carryover power play, but a penalty just 32 seconds into the frame wiped out the opportunity. Both teams traded chances the rest of the period, and after 40 minutes the shots were even at 19-19, with Fort Wayne still holding a one-goal advantage.

The game turned quickly in the third period.

Komets captain Alex Aleardi extended the lead to 2-0 just five minutes into the final frame. Less than three minutes later, William Dufour added another goal to make it 3-0. A flurry of penalties followed, including a brief stretch of four-on-four play and multiple roughing calls, as tempers flared between the division rivals.

Fort Wayne added a power play goal by Matt Miller during the sequence to push the margin to 4-0, effectively putting the game out of reach.

The physical play escalated late, highlighted by a line brawl that resulted in several penalties and misconducts on both sides. Despite continuing to press offensively, the Fuel could not solve the Komets’ defense and goaltending down the stretch.

Indy finished with a slight edge in shots, 29-28, but could not find the back of the net.

With the win, Fort Wayne advances to likely face the Toledo Walleye in the next round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.  As of this writing, Toledo has a 3-0 game lead in their series with the Bloomington Bison.

For the Fuel, the loss closes a season defined by adversity — one in which roster disruptions forced a younger lineup to grow quickly and ultimately fight its way into the postseason.

Fishers is moving ahead with a major reconstruction of one of the city’s more confusing traffic points — the roundabout at Olio Road, Southeastern Parkway and 136th Street near I-69.  I have received many questions from readers of this Web site asking for more details of how this area will change once construction is completed.

I have requested more details from the city.  Until I receive a response to that request, here is what I know at this point.

The Board of Public Works and Safety last Tuesday approved a $6.7 million bid from E&B Paving for the project. Construction is expected to begin in May and be completed by November.

Based on public bid listings and prior city budget discussions, the work will reconfigure the existing five-leg roundabout into a more conventional four-leg, multi-lane roundabout. The current design brings together Olio Road, Southeastern Parkway and 136th Street in a way many motorists have found difficult to navigate.

City Engineering Director Hatem Mekky described the plan during 2026 budget discussions last year, saying the project would eliminate one connection, create a “tear-drop” design at 136th Street and add a traffic signal on Olio Road north of the roundabout. Mekky said the goal was to “clean up that area” and make it easier for drivers to move through.

The project includes that new traffic signal on Olio Road for motorists coming south over the I-69 bridge. City Project Engineer Tami Houston told the Board of Works the city hopes to keep most of the roundabout open during construction, although some detours will be needed.

Public bid information describes the work as an intersection improvement at Olio Road, Southeastern Parkway and 136th Street. The bid package includes major pavement and curb work, including more than 7,000 cubic yards of excavation and more than 8,200 linear feet of concrete curb removal.

The city’s bid posting listed the project through QuestCDN under the title “Olio and Southeastern Roundabout,” with bid documents posted in April and a mandatory pre-bid meeting held April 16.

The city has said about $2.9 million will come from the Metropolitan Planning Organization, with Fishers covering the rest. The project is also listed in INDOT’s State Transportation Improvement Program as a Fishers intersection improvement at Southeastern Parkway and Olio Road, with construction planned in fiscal year 2026.

The city has not yet released a detailed public diagram showing the final traffic pattern. Based on available public descriptions, the biggest change for drivers will be the removal of the current five-point configuration, a more standard roundabout layout and a signalized traffic movement on Olio Road near the I-69 interchange.

The matchup between the Fishers Freight and Green Bay Blizzard drew league-wide attention Saturday night, with both teams entering the contest at 5-1 and tied atop the Eastern Conference.

In a game that lived up to expectations, it was Green Bay that came out on top 57-52, pulling away late for a hard-fought victory that was not decided until the final minute.

Fishers held a slim 30-23 lead at halftime in a back-and-forth contest featuring two of the league’s most explosive offenses. Defensive plays proved just as critical, with fourth-down stops and timely fumble recoveries helping keep the game tight throughout.

Green Bay overcame adversity, including the loss of starting running back Demilon Brown, who was ejected after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

An unusual moment occurred during the game when the referee called a media timeout without direction from the television crew. That led to a lengthy sideline discussion with broadcaster Tom Johnston, who then spent the remainder of the game positioned near the team benches.

The decisive sequence came in the final minutes. With less than three minutes remaining, Fishers quarterback Felix Harper lost a fumble that the Blizzard recovered. Green Bay capitalized quickly, as quarterback Liam Thompson scored on a four-yard run to give his team the lead.

The Freight answered with a four-yard touchdown pass from Harper to CJ Windham, but Green Bay recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the victory.

Running back Josiah King returned to action after missing time with an injury and rushed for 90 yards before leaving the game early, appearing to aggravate the same issue.

The loss drops Fishers to 5-2 on the season. The Freight will travel to face the Orlando Pirates on May 9.

It was a cold, windy and overcast Friday morning — an unusually chilly start to May — but that did not deter city leaders and members of the local veterans community from gathering for a meaningful ceremony.

The City of Fishers held its first official event Friday at the new outdoor veterans monument near the Community Center, honoring those who have served in the United States Armed Forces.

Mayor Scott Fadness presided over the ceremony, which included recognition of three veterans — one in person and two posthumously.

George Stavropoulos, a longtime Fishers resident and active advocate for veterans, was caught off guard when his name was called. Stavropoulos, who has played a key role in organizing Memorial Day and Veterans Day events in the city, attended the ceremony expecting to see another individual honored.

Instead, he became the focus of the morning’s recognition.

Two additional veterans were honored posthumously during the ceremony. City officials have not yet released further details on those recognitions. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Despite the brisk conditions, the gathering underscored the city’s ongoing commitment to recognizing and honoring those who have served — a mission now symbolized by the newly dedicated monument.

With the regular season winding down and the playoffs looming, the Indy Ignite delivered another strong performance Friday night, defeating the Columbus Fury at Fishers Event Center.

The matchup was part of the final weekend of the Major League Volleyball regular season, with Indy entering as one of the league’s top teams and positioning itself for a championship run.

While official box score details were limited immediately following the match, the Ignite controlled much of the action, continuing a season-long trend of balanced offense and efficient hitting that has made them one of the most difficult teams to defend in the league.

Strong finish to regular season

Friday’s contest was one of the final two home matches before the postseason, and the Ignite used the opportunity to sharpen their form in front of the home crowd.

Indy has been among the league leaders throughout the 2026 campaign, building on a successful inaugural season in 2025 that saw the franchise reach the championship round.

Recent performances have reflected that momentum. Earlier this season, the Ignite posted dominant wins at home with high hitting percentages and consistent production across the lineup, underscoring their depth and versatility.

That same formula was evident again Friday night, as Indy relied on a mix of power hitting, solid net play, and steady defense to keep Columbus from gaining sustained momentum.

Home-court advantage continues

The Fishers Event Center has proven to be a key factor for the Ignite, who have turned the venue into one of the toughest environments for visiting teams in Major League Volleyball.

The 7,500-seat arena, which opened in late 2024, has quickly become a central hub for professional sports in Fishers, also hosting the Indy Fuel and Fishers Freight.

With another energetic crowd behind them Friday, the Ignite fed off that support, particularly during key stretches when Columbus threatened to close the gap.

Looking ahead

The Ignite wrap up the regular season with one more home match Sunday before turning their focus to the Major League Volleyball Championship.

Indy is expected to enter the postseason as one of the top seeds — if not the favorite — based on its consistent play and strong record throughout the year.

If Friday night was any indication, the Ignite appear to be hitting their stride at the right time.

Another long list of road construction updates.  Be aware of major work this weekend at the Clear Path site at I-69 & I-465.

Here is the full listing, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Road Construction update – week starting Sunday, May 3 →

The Fishers Freight will get another shot at the Indoor Football League’s top-ranked team Saturday, and this time the setting will be the Fishers Event Center.

Fishers hosts the Green Bay Blizzard at 5 p.m. in one of the league’s marquee matchups of the weekend. Both teams enter the game at 5-1 overall and 4-1 in conference play, making the contest an early-season measuring stick in the Eastern Conference race.

Green Bay is ranked No. 1 in the latest IFL Coaches Poll, while Fishers slipped one spot to No. 3 after Vegas moved into the second position.

The Blizzard handed the Freight their only loss of the season March 21 in Green Bay, 51-42. Fishers struggled through much of the first half, then mounted a second-half comeback that made the game close before Green Bay held on. Blizzard quarterback Liam Thompson accounted for seven touchdowns in that win.

Since then, the Freight have continued to build momentum under Head Coach and General Manager Dixie Wooten. Quarterback Felix Harper, running back Josiah King and receiver CJ Windham have helped give Fishers one of the league’s highest-scoring offenses, averaging 51 points per game through six contests.

King, a key part of the Freight rushing attack, has missed recent games with an injury. His status for Saturday’s matchup has not been officially announced.

Saturday’s game also gives Fishers a chance to show how far it has come since the earlier Green Bay meeting. The Freight showed resilience in that matchup, but will need a faster start and cleaner execution against a Blizzard team that has already proven it can finish close games.

The game is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday at the Fishers Event Center and is listed as a Yahoo Sports broadcast.