Five players in franchise history have scored five goals in a game for the Komets, who have been around for 63 seasons, and Shawn Szydlowski joined that club tonight during the Komets' 6-4 victory over the Missouri Mavericks.

Here’s an interesting fact: All five times a Komet has done it, they’ve done it at Memorial Coliseum.

Ron Leef had been the last Fort Wayne player with five goals in a game, a feat he accomplished Dec. 4, 1983, against Kalamazoo.

Only two players had four-goal games in the previous 10 seasons: Sean Venedam against Richmond on Dec. 17, 2004, and Chris Auger against Evansville on Dec. 10, 2011.

While it’s unknown if Szydlowski set a franchise mark for short-handed goals, he was the first ECHL player to accomplish it since Chad Costello of Colorado on Dec. 12, 2012.

“Maybe I did this back in mites. I don’t know what happened tonight. Sometimes you have luck on your side,” said Szydlowski, after the Komets, who are on a 12-4-3 run, clinched home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

The Komets, who are two points back of Toledo for the North Division lead, will face either the third or fourth seed in the division and that opponent will be either Kalamazoo, Wheeling, Cincinnati or Indy.

“It’s pretty easy to do this when you have someone else helping you out,” Szydlowski said of linemate Eric Faille.

Faille assisted on all five of Szydlowski’s goals.

“I’m just happy we pulled it out,” Szydlowski said. “We kind of shot ourselves in the foot again in the second period. That’s my focus right now. I could have done more in a few places. Some nights, it’s a blessing if you do good and you win. But there are still things that need to be improved on and we’re focusing on that.”

Last season, he had 11 goals in 63 games. This season, he’s got 31 in 47 games.

Amazing.

We’ve got even more photos to show you from the game above this post.

jcohn@jg.net