Nailers Fall Short in Comeback Effort
January 2, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
The Nailers scored a pair of 3rd period goals to close a 3 goal deficit down to 1 but it wasn't enough and the Jackals hung on for a 3-2 victory at WesBanco Arena Friday night.
Erik Johnson and Bryan Ewing fired it home for the Nailers in the 3rd with Ewing's coming on a shorthanded run and a shot from the right-wing corner but Wheeling's inspired attack the rest of the way couldn't produce the game-tying goal. Ewing helped set up the first goal as well with a spinning shot from between the circles that he was somehow able to get off despite getting yanked down. The shot deflected to the left-wing side of the crease where Johnson fired it in to get the Nailers on the board at 3:16 of the 3rd.
Wheeling was in a 3-0 hole after 2 periods as the Jackals scored a goal in the 1st period by their lone All-Star representative Josh Aspenlind. Then Elmira scored a pair of goals in the 2nd including a power play goal by Chris Korchinski and a shorthanded goal by Nathan Lutz, his first of the year, coming on some fine work by Aspenlind to win it in the left-wing corner and center to his teammate.
The Nailers had a season-low 19 shots on goal in the contest that featured lots of blocked shots and frustrating missed connections on various attacks.
The Nailers 2 game win streak came to a close as they feel to 20-6-5 but they will hang on to first place in the North Division as the Johnstown Chiefs also lost in a 6-1 final to the Cincinnati Cyclones to stay one point back of the Nailers. Wheeling is 8-3-0 in their last 11 as well as 11-4-0 in their most recent 15 contests.
Curtis Darling's personal 4 game win streak was stopped as he turned aside 27 of 30 Jackals shots to fall to 13-4-4.
Mitch O'Keefe was solid in net for the Jackals with 17 saves on 19 shots in improving to 11-8-2. Elmira has won 4 of their last 6 but the victory also snapped a 2 game winless streak for them as they improve to 16-13-4 staying in 5th place in the North just one point back of Cincinnati for the all important 4th place spot which is the cut-off for the post-season.
The Nailers are 2-1-0 against Elmira on the year. Saturday will be the 4th of 9 encounters on the regular season between the two teams.
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