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Wheeling Nailers

Nailers vs. Everblades Game Day Snap Shot

November 28, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


Wheeling Nailers (8-6-0-0, 16 PTS) vs. Florida Everblades (11-2-0-1, 23 PTS)

WHEELING NAILERS

(8-6-0-0, 16 PTS, 3rd North, 8th East)

43 GF, 45 GA

PP: 18.8% (9-for-48), 12th

PK: 83.8% (57-for-68), 12th

23-F-Riley Brace (6 goals, 13 assists, 19 points in 14 games)

21-F-Sahir Gill (3 goals, 10 assists, 13 points in 12 games)

15-F-Zack Torquato (5 goals, 5 assists, 10 points in 9 games)

18-F-Matia Marcantuoni (4 goals, 6 assists, 10 points in 9 games)

12-F-David Gilbert (5 goals, 3 assists, 8 points in 14 games)

16-F-Derek Army (4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points in 14 games)

8-D-Zach Yuen (2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points in 9 games)

30-G-Eric Hartzell (2-1-0 record, 1.63 GAA, .946 Sv% in 3 games)

FLORIDA EVERBLADES

(11-2-0-1, 23 PTS, T-1st East, T-2nd East)

52 GF, 35 GA

PP: 22.0% (13-for-59), 4th

PK: 86.4% (51-for-59), 5th

28-F-Adam Brace (5 goals, 8 assists, 13 points in 14 games)

57-D-Matt Mangene (4 goals, 8 assists, 12 points in 14 games)

5-D-Mike Little (2 goals, 10 assists, 12 points in 12 games)

40-D-Cameron Burt (1 goal, 9 assists, 10 points in 14 games)

17-F-Evan Bloodoff (6 goals, 3 assists, 9 points in 13 games)

19-F-Alex Lavoie (4 goals, 4 assists, 8 points in 13 games)

18-F-Chris Kushneriuk (3 goals, 5 assists, 8 points in 7 games)

31-G-Daniel Altshuller (3-1-0 record, 3.27 GAA, .871 Sv% in 4 games)

Head-to-Head

2013-14 Season Series: Everblades 2, Nailers 0

2013-14 Season Series at WesBanco Arena: Everblades 2, Nailers 0

All-Time Series: Everblades 11, Nailers 5

All-Time Series at WesBanco Arena: Everblades 6, Nailers 1

Homestand Starts Successfully

The Wheeling Nailers began a five-game homestand on Wednesday night, when they renewed their rivalry with the Greenville Road Warriors. Wheeling got off to a fast start, as David Gilbert needed just 36 seconds to open the scoring, before Bobby Shea added to the lead with a power play goal later in the first period. Special teams were spectacular for the Nailers on Wednesday, as they went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill, which included a perfect performance on a five-minute major. Sahir Gill tacked on another power play marker in the second, which turned out to be the game winning goal, as Greenville battled back to within one, before Zack Torquato iced the 4-2 final score with an empty net tally. Franky Palazzese picked up his sixth win of the season with 18 saves.

The Beasts from the Southeast

The Florida Everblades have gotten off to one of the best starts in the ECHL, opening the 2014-15 campaign with an 11-2-1 record in their first 14 games. A significant amount of Florida's success has come away from Germain Arena, as the team has posted a 7-1-0 mark as the visiting team. The Everblades are currently in the midst of their second five-game winning streak of the year, having gone 10-1-0 in their last 11 contests. Goaltender Allen York has been a major reason for the success, as his 21-save shutout last Saturday against the Gwinnett Gladiators gave him a personal eight-game winning streak.

Cousins Crushing the Competition

When fans look at the leading scorers for the respective teams on Friday, they will notice a similar pattern at the top. Riley Brace leads the Nailers in all three offensive categories, entering the weekend with six goals, 13 assists, and 19 points. On the other side of the ice, Adam Brace is Florida's leader in goals (5) and points (13). Riley and Adam are cousins, who will be facing each other for the first time in their professional careers. The two players took different career paths in reaching the pros, as Riley played junior hockey in Mississauga, while Adam attended Robert Morris University, pushing the last head-to-head meeting even further back into their youths. Adam is the older cousin at 26 years old, while Riley checks in at 22.

Kush Comes Full Circle

One of the most inspirational stories in the 23-year history of hockey in Wheeling will be on center stage at WesBanco Arena on Friday night. Forward Chris Kushneriuk attended Robert Morris University, before joining the Nailers at the end of the 2010-11 season. During his time in Wheeling from March-November that year, Chris accumulated 18 points in 37 games, with the largest being a game winning goal in overtime of game seven against the Greenville Road Warriors in the 2011 Eastern Conference Semifinal. In 2012, Kushneriuk was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which ended up reaching stage four. However, the now 27-year old ended up winning the fight, defeating the cancer, and returning to play professional hockey. Friday will be his first game back in Wheeling, as he is now a member of the Florida Everblades.

Try to Avoid the Shootout This Time

Friday night marks the first of two head-to-head meetings between the Nailers and Everblades this season, with both battles between the teams scheduled to take place at WesBanco Arena. These will be the seventh and eighth consecutive home games for Wheeling in the historical series, as the Nailers haven't traveled to Estero, FL since November, 2011. Oddly enough, each of the last four clashes have featured practically identical results. All four games have been shootout wins for Florida, all four games have featured a tying goal in the last 30 seconds of regulation (2 for WHL, 2 for FLA), and the last three games have all gone into the books as a 5-4 final score. The Nailers' last win against the Everblades came on March 9, 2012, when Peter Delmas made 21 saves in a 1-0 victory at Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown.

Promotions for Friday include: Frosty & Flat Screen Friday, presented by the Highlands and the Law Firm of Bordas & Bordas. Fans will also receive a free Zach Yuen poster, while supplies last, courtesy of Rich and Shirley's Quick Print of Wheeling. In addition, join players and staff at Wheeling Island Casino for a post game party.

On Saturday, the first 2,000 fans will receive a jersey bank, courtesy of Main Street Bank. McDonald's Friends & Family tickets will also be available for Saturday for $39.99, including four tickets, four hats, and four McDonald's Value Meal coupons. The start time is 7:35 for Wheeling and Florida.

Wheeling Nailers 2014-15 season tickets, flex tickets, group tickets and single-game tickets are on sale now. For more information, call 304-234-GOAL or visit wheelingnailers.com.

Listen to all Nailers regular season and post-season games live on the Valley's rock station EAGLE 107.5 FM, on www.iheartradio.com or watch live on www.echl.tv. Catch every road game live on WLUTV on Comcast Cable 14.

Check out the Wheeling Nailers Statistics

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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