GAME DAY 2024-25
Nailers Give Sellout Crowd Improbable Ending in 2-1 Win
Wheeling Scores Twice in Final 30 Seconds to Celebrate in Front of 4,790
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers opened their home season on Saturday night, and the sellout crowd of 4,790 fans will all tell you that the ending was one they'll remember for a long time. Wheeling trailed the Bloomington Bison 1-0 with less than 30 seconds left in the third period. That's when the Nailers turned things completely around. Atley Calvert's first professional goal tied the score with 27 seconds left, then Matthew Quercia scored with 12 seconds to go, and Wheeling celebrated a 2-1 triumph on home ice. The sellout was the team's second straight in the home opener.
Both teams played and traveled on Friday night, which led to a bit of a slow start, as Bloomington outshot Wheeling, 10-5 during a scoreless opening stanza. It took all the way until the 15:38 mark of the second period for a goal to be scored, and it was the Bison who turned the tables with a shorthanded strike. Gavin Gould led the charge on a 2-on-1 rush, and poked a pass through to Eddie Matsushima barreling down the slot. Matsushima had his initial shot stopped, but pounced on the rebound, and roofed it up and under the crossbar.
The Nailers pushed back hard in the third period, and outshot Bloomington, 15-6. Wheeling got a break with 2:06 to go, when Bryce Montgomery swatted the puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty. With under 28 seconds left, the home team pulled even. A mad scramble took place in the crease, and Atley Calvert ultimately jammed a rebound through goaltender Hugo Ollas for his first professional goal. Kyle Jackson and Chris Ortiz assisted. It appeared the tilt might be headed to overtime, but with just over 12 seconds remaining, David Jankowski won a right circle face-off to Matthew Quercia, who spun in a low shot to send the sellout crowd into a frenzy. The Bison attempted a tying shot in the closing seconds, but the night belonged to the victorious Nailers, 2-1.
Jaxon Castor earned the win in goal for Wheeling, as he denied 24 of the 25 shots he faced. Hugo Ollas suffered the loss for Bloomington, as he made 27 saves on 29 shots.
The Nailers will take a quick road trip to Cincinnati on Wednesday to face the Cyclones at 7:35, before returning to WesBanco Arena for five straight home contests. The first two of those will take place on Friday, November 8th and Saturday, November 9th against the Trois-Rivières Lions. Friday's game will be Military Appreciation Night with specialty jerseys and an Oath of Enlistment, plus it will be the first Frosty Friday of the season. Saturday's game will be First Responders Night, which features a post game scrimmage of Guns vs. Hoses. The next Big-6 Promotional Night is Hall of Fame Night on November 30th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2024-25 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Special Teams Power Walleye Comeback Win
Mats Lindgren Scores First Pro Goal for Wheeling
TOLEDO, OH- The Wheeling Nailers nearly quieted a sellout crowd of 8,300 at Huntington Center, as the Toledo Walleye played their home opener on Friday night. Wheeling busted out to a 2-0 lead on goals by defensemen Mats Lindgren and Louie Roehl. However, the Walleye rallied back with three goals, including two power play strikes from Brandon Hawkins to collect a 3-2 win.
The Nailers got off to a great start, thanks to a pair of goals by defensemen. The first marker came at the 5:59 mark. Sam Houde curled off of the right wing wall, and spotted Mats Lindgren jumping into the high slot. Lindgren took the feed, and roofed his first professional goal into the top-right corner of the cage. Houde also set up the second tally, which came off of the rush. This time, Louis Roehl got a step on his defender, broke in alone, and shoveled a shot into the top-right corner. With under one minute to go, Toledo converted on the first power play of the match. Mitchell Lewandowski set up Brandon Hawkins, who zipped a wrist shot along the ice and in from the right face-off dot.
The Walleye turned the game around in the middle frame, as the hosts turned their 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. Sam Craggs evened the score at the 10:07 mark, when he deposited the rebound of Conlan Keenan's initial shot. Then, in the final minute of the period, Hawkins connected for his second of the night on the man advantage, when he clobbered a one-timer from the top of the left circle into the top-left corner of the twine.
Wheeling had its best shots output in the third period, as the visitors poured 17 shots onto the goal. Unfortunately, a tying goal wasn't in the cards, despite one puck trickling to the goal line, before it was swept away, and Toledo prevailed, 3-2.
Jan Bednar got the win for the Walleye, as he made 28 saves on 30 shots. Sergei Murashov had an impressive night in the defeat for the Nailers, as he turned away 32 of the 35 shots he faced.
The Wheeling Nailers will play their home opener on Saturday night at 7:10 against the Bloomington Bison. Swaggy P (former Nailer Peter Lenes) will be performing trick shots during both intermissions, and all fans will receive a magnetic schedule. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2024-25 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Wheeling Splits for Second Straight Week
Matty De St. Phalle Scores Lone Goal in 34-Shot Attack
READING, PA- For the second straight week, the Wheeling Nailers have left an opposition building with a split. After a 5-4 Wheeling victory on Saturday, it was the Reading Royals who prevailed at Santander Arena on Sunday afternoon. Jacques Bouquot and Connor McMenamin both registered one goal and one assist for the host Royals, who received a 33-save effort from Keith Petruzzelli in a 4-1 home ice win.
Both teams came out strong offensively, as three goals were scored during the opening ten minutes of play, and two of those came on man advantages. Reading was first to strike at even strength at the 1:44 mark. The Royals got a numerical advantage in front of the net, as Jacques Bouquot touched the puck to his left for Connor McMenamin, who shoveled in the tally. The Royals then converted on their first power play opportunity. McMenamin's wrist shot was partially stopped by Sergei Murashov, but the rebound leaked into the crease, where it was tapped home by Bouquot. Wheeling battled to within a goal at the 9:55 mark with a power play goal of its own. Matty De St. Phalle stepped into a wrist shot in the right circle, which he sniped into the left side of the cage.
The score stayed 2-1 for nearly 38 minutes, before Reading netted an insurance tally at the 7:53 mark of the third period. Parker AuCoin grabbed the puck out of the corner, and spotted Todd Skirving in the slot, where he lifted a shot up and into the top-left corner of the cage. The Royals tacked on an empty netter from Powell Connor for a 4-1 final score.
Keith Petruzzelli earned the win for Reading, as he stopped 33 of the 34 shots he faced. Sergei Murashov took the loss for the Nailers, as he surrendered three goals on 21 shots.
The Nailers have one more game left on their season-opening five-game road journey, and that will be on Friday at 7:15 against the Toledo Walleye. Wheeling will begin its home season on Saturday, when it faces the Bloomington Bison for the first time ever. Swaggy P will be performing trick shots during both intermissions, and fans will receive a magnetic schedule. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2024-25 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Nailers Spoil Reading's Home Opener, 5-4
Cole Cameron & Logan Pietila Score First Professional Goals in the Win
READING, PA- The young guns came out firing for the Wheeling Nailers on Saturday night at Santander Arena, as the team collected its second win in three road games to open the regular season. Cole Cameron and Logan Pietila both scored the first goals of their professional careers, while fellow rookie Matty De St. Phalle joined in the scoring party. Sam Houde's third period goal put Wheeling ahead for good, while Pietila's marker turned out to be the winner, as the Nailers defeated the Reading Royals, 5-4 on Reading's home opening night.
The first two periods were complete opposites, as the opening stanza went by without a goal, while the middle frame saw five pucks enter the nets. The Nailers got on the board first at the 1:42 mark. Jack Beck let a long wrist shot go from just inside of the offensive blueline, and got a deflection from Matty De St. Phalle to drop the puck down and into the cage. 37 seconds later, Wheeling struck again. Beck was the catalyst once again. This time, he hesitated at the top of the right circle, then delivered a perfect feed to Chris Ortiz for a tap-in from the left side of the crease. De St. Phalle set up marker number three, when he stole the puck at the top of the left circle and turned a quick shot on goal, which was tipped home by Cole Cameron for his first as a pro. Reading got its first tally of the night just 38 seconds after that, when Todd Skirving blazed in a one-timer from the inner edge of the left circle, which was set up by Jacques Bouquot. Connor McMenamin made the score 3-2, when he pounced on a loose puck and converted from the low slot.
The Royals eventually pulled even for a brief time in the early goings of the third period, when Connor McMenamin hammered in a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle off of a pass by Shane Sellar. The Nailers quickly rebounded to go back on top 3:15 later. Jordan Martel shimmied the puck along the left wing wall to send Sam Houde and Matt Koopman on a 2-on-0 break. Houde initially gave Koopman a pass, but Koopman returned the favor, and Houde tossed the puck into the open left side of the cage. Logan Pietila then added what turned out to be a key insurance goal, when he sniped his first professional goal into the top-left corner from the left face-off dot. That became the game winner, as Skirving's shorthanded strike with 1:05 remaining made the final score 5-4 in Wheeling's favor.
Sergei Murashov was the victorious goaltender in his debut for the Nailers, as he made 16 saves on 20 shots. Wheeling defeated last week's ECHL Goaltender of the Week, as Parker Gahagen allowed five goals on 36 shots in the loss for Reading.
The Nailers and Royals will meet up again in Reading on Sunday at 3:00. Wheeling will begin its home season next Saturday, November 2nd at 7:10, when it faces the Bloomington Bison for the first time ever. Swaggy P will be performing trick shots during both intermissions, and fans will receive a magnetic schedule. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2024-25 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Maine Splits Weekend Series with Identical 4-1 Final
Sam Houde Scores Lone Wheeling Goal; Nailers Travel to Reading Next Weekend
PORTLAND, ME- 4-1 was the score of the weekend, as the Wheeling Nailers and Maine Mariners split their two-game series at Cross Insurance Arena. After Wheeling was victorious in Friday's season opener, Maine evened the score in the second contest on Saturday. Jacob Hudson and Evan Vierling both posted three-point nights for the Mariners in support of goaltender Ryan Bischel, who won his professional debut. Sam Houde notched the lone marker for the Nailers.
For the second night in a row, the game started out with a bang. Matthew Quercia delivered a punishing clean hit on Maine's Turner Ripplinger. Wyllum Deveaux challenged Quercia to a fight, which came to an end when Quercia landed a powerful uppercut. One goal was scored in the first period, and it went in by inches for Maine. Evan Vierling aired a pass through the low slot to Jacob Hudson on the left side. Hudson got just enough of the puck to send it trickling in over the goal line. The call was originally no goal, but was overturned after video review.
The Nailers battled back to even the score at the 2:50 mark of the middle frame. Sam Houde took a pass from Jared Westcott, and spun his way around the offensive zone into the slot. Looking directly at the net, Houde lifted a wrist shot into the top-left corner. The Mariners answered with two goals to go ahead by a pair. Moments after an icing call against Wheeling, Deveaux took a handoff from Justin Bean, swung his way into the high slot, and drove a wrist shot into the top-right corner of the cage. Maine followed that up with a power play strike, as Hudson dropped a pass off to Millman, who walked into the high slot, and fired a shot into the left side of the twine.
The Mariners locked things down defensively in the third period, as they limited Wheeling to four shots on goal in the final 20 minutes. Maine put the finishing touches on its 4-1 win with Evan Vierling's empty net goal, as he ended the night with three points.
Ryan Bischel earned the win in his professional debut for the Mariners, as he turned away 25 of the 26 shots he faced. Jaxon Castor made 29 saves on 32 shots in the defeat for the Nailers.
The Nailers will continue their five-game road stretch with two contests next weekend against the Reading Royals on Saturday at 7:00 and Sunday at 3:00. Wheeling will play its home opener on Saturday, November 2nd against the Bloomington Bison at 7:10. Swaggy P will be performing trick shots during both intermissions. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2024-25 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
Nailers Magnificent in Maine to Start Season
Gabe Klassen & Phip Waugh Both Score First Pro Goals in 4-1 Win
PORTLAND, ME- The Wheeling Nailers had the exact start to the season they were looking for on Friday night, as they earned their first ever triumph in the State of Maine. Gabe Klassen and Phip Waugh both scored their first professional goals, while Jordan Martel snapped a 1-1 deadlock in the second period to propel Wheeling to the 4-1 road win over the Maine Mariners at Cross Insurance Arena. Jaxon Castor was the winning netminder with 25 stops.
The game got started with some fireworks, as Wheeling's Matthew Quercia and Maine's Justin Bean threw down the gloves 2:38 into the contests. That emotional boost favored the Nailers, who opened the scoring 1:22 later with a power play strike. Kyle Jackson played the puck to Atley Calvert along the left side of the goal line, and Calvert promptly delivered a feed to Gabe Klassen, who drilled a one-timer into the right side of the cage for his first professional goal. Maine drew even at the 8:58 mark, when former Nailer Evan Vierling maneuvered his way into the high slot and roofed a wrist shot off of the left side of the crossbar and in.
Wheeling's power play converted again at the 3:01 mark of the middle frame, as the visitors retook the lead. Chris Ortiz chipped a pass to Jordan Martel along the left wing wall. Martel twirled his way into the slot, and shoveled a wrist shot into the top-left corner of the net.
The Nailers locked things down defensively in the third period, and got some breathing room with a pair of insurance markers. Phip Waugh put Wheeling ahead by two at the 5:07 mark, when he stepped up to the top of the left circle and shoveled a wrist shot into the top-right corner of the twine for his first goal as a pro. Kyle Jackson iced the 4-1 triumph with an empty netter, which was set up by Jack Beck's first career point.
Jaxon Castor earned the victory in goal for the Nailers, as he began his second pro season with 25 saves on 26 shots. Nolan Maier took the loss for the Mariners, as he was bested three times on 23 shots.
The Nailers and Mariners will meet up again on Saturday at 6:00 in Portland, as the team continues its five-game season-opening road stretch. Wheeling will play its home opener on Saturday, November 2nd against the Bloomington Bison at 7:10. Swaggy P will be performing trick shots during both intermissions. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2024-25 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.