Two home games and Christmas break ahead

Fort Wayne, IN-- The Komets gained a split of a pair of games played during week 10 of 2015-16 and improved to 12-10-1 and 25 points after 23 games.

Friday the Komets fell 5-3 to the visiting Manchester Monarchs in the only meeting of the season. Mike Embach, Brett Perlini and Garrett Meurs scored for Fort Wayne while goaltender Spencer Martin made 17 saves on 21 shots. Pat Nagle stopped all nine shots faced in 20 minutes of relief.

Saturday the Komets responded by turning back the Beast from Brampton 5-1 to even the season series at 1-1-0 with two meetings remaining. Shawn Szydlowski led the charge with his first hat trick of the season and second as a Komet, scoring a natural hat trick with three straight markers in a span of 5:02 in the second period. It was the first Fort Wayne hat trick since Szydlowski's five-goal performance in a 6-4 home win against Missouri on March 21, 2015. Nikita Kashirsky and Embach also contributed goals while Brett Perlini assisted on all three Szydlowski tallies. Nagle earned his sixth win of the season stopping 27 of 28 shots.Streaking Komets-- Brett Perlini has a team leading six-game point-scoring streak (3g, 6a).....Szydlowski has a four-game point-streak (5g, 3a).....Alex Belzile has a four-game assist streak (4a).....Joe Perry has assists in three straight games (4a).

Komet leaders-- Embach, Szydlowski and Garrett Thompson lead with 19 points.....Embach leads with 10 goals and six power play goals.....Thompson leads with 14 assists.....Perlini leads with 94 shots.....Drew Daniels leads with +9.....Cody Sol leads with 47 penalty minutes.

THE WEEK AHEAD...two home games and a Christmas break...The Komets will sandwich the Christmas break between two home games this week.

Atlanta Gladiators (16-9-1, 33 points) at Komets (12-10-1, 25 points) Monday, 7:30pm-- The Komets will welcome the Atlanta Gladiators for a rare Monday night game at 7:30pm before taking a break for the Christmas holiday. It will be the only meeting of the season. Last season the Komets were undefeated in three meetings with the Gladiators (Gwinnett). Atlanta has moved into second place in the South Division with a three-game win string. The Gladiators are 6-1-0 in their last seven games, including a sweep of a pair of games at Kalamazoo over the weekend.

Kalamazoo Wings (10-15-3, 23 points) at Komets Saturday, 7:30pm-- Saturday the Komets return from a four-day break to host Kalamazoo at 7:30pm faceoff at the Memorial Coliseum. The Komets lead the series 4-1-0 and it's the first meeting since a 3-1 Fort Wayne home win Nov. 20. It will be the last of four visits by the Wings this season. The Komets have two trips to Kalamazoo remaining. The Wings are riding a three-game winless skid (0-2-1) and are idle until they visit Saturday.Monday night is OmniSource Season Ticket Recycling Night. Season ticket holders have a chance to exchange their unused season tickets from previous games of the season for tickets to see the Komets face the Atlanta Gladiators this Monday at 7:30pm, compliments of OmniSource.

Monday night is also College Night. All area college students can take advantage of a special Buy-One-Get-One-Free ticket offer for this Monday night's Komet home game against the Gladiators. Students can get two tickets to sit in the Pepsi Zone for only $18 with their student I.D. at the Coliseum Ticket Office.Kids Seat Free Saturday-- The Komets will feature another Kids Seat Free Night when the Wings visit Saturday, courtesy Aunt Millie's, Parkview Health and the Komets. Any child under the age of 12 can see the game for free with a full-priced adult ticket purchase.

Get your tickets early-- Tickets for Komet home games are on sale at the Coliseum Ticket Office and online at TicketMaster.com. Discounted Group tickets are also on sale for all Komet home games at the Komet office at 1010 Memorial Way. Call the 260-483-0011 or visit komets.com for more information.

Komets on the air-- Komet games are scheduled to be aired on WOWO AM 1190, FM 92.3 and FM 107.5 with Bob Chase calling the action radio-rinkside in his 63rd consecutive season. All Komet radio broadcasts can also be heard worldwide as presented by Omni Source Radio Recycle at www.komets.com. Soundoff With The Komets continues this year on 21Alive in Fort Wayne. The 30-minute live telecast is hosted by Tommy Schoegler from SportOne/Parkview IceHouse each Monday night at 7:30 throughout the season. However, there will be no show this Monday night, Dec. 21 due to the Komets having a home game. The show will resume Monday, Dec. 28 when forward Garrett Thompson will be the guest.