ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Bobble Head Night Announced

February 9, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


Wheeling, WV – The Wheeling Nailers announce today that they will have a Bobblehead night featuring WesBanco Buck on Saturday, February 28th 2004. The first 3,000 fans in the arena will receive a Bobblehead courtesy of WesBanco.

In keeping with the current trend in the country, the Wheeling Nailers will have their own version of Bobblehead night on Friday, February 28th, 2004. The featured bobblehead this year will be WesBanco Buck the Beaver. "In cooperation with WesBanco, we thought it would be fun for the fans to receive a "Buck the Beaver" bobblehead this year," commented Rob Brooks president of the Wheeling Nailers. "Everyone is creating players or coaches, we wanted to be a little different and do our secondary mascot – WesBanco Buck," Brooks went on to say.

The Nailers host the Cincinnati Cyclones that evening at WesBanco Arena with face-off scheduled for 7:30pm.

Nailers Week In Review

Press Release - Feb 9th 2004

Wednesday, February 4

Wheeling 0 @ Johnstown 3

For the third time this season and second time on the road, the Nailers were shutout in a game. Johnstown took a 1-0 lead at 4:28 of the first period on a Brent Kelly goal from Ian Manzano. The chiefs went ahead 2-0 in the first minute of the second period on Jeff Zehr's first goal of the game. Manzano and Chad Cavanagh assisted. Zehr scored the games final goal and his second of the game at 8:58 of the third period. Cavanagh picked up the only assist on the goal. Tyler MacKay made 24 saves on 27 shots and took the loss. Joe Exter made his second appearance for the NAilers by playing the final 8:49 and making two saves on two shots.

Friday, February 6

Wheeling 4 @ Dayton 3 (SO)

Wheeling took a 1-0 lead at 7:56 of the first period on Kamil Kuriplach's third goal of the season. Steve Crampton and Mark Kosick assisted on the goal. The Bombers tied the game 1-1 with a power play goal at 11:17. Crampton gave the Nailers the lead for the second time at 19:37 of the first period. Brendon Hodge and Bogdan Rudenko assisted on the goal. Dayton scored the only goal of the third period to tie the game 2-2. Dayton took the lead for the first time in the game at 12:43 of the third period. Wheeling tied the game 3-3 with 1:02 remaining in regulation with a power play goal. Mario Larocque scored the goal with Rudenko and Jake Ortmeyer assisting. Neither team scored in overtime and the game went to a shootout tied 3-3. The Nailers got three goals on four shots in the shootout and Dayton was shutout on three shooters. Tyler MacKay made 28 saves on 31 shots in regulation and three saves on three shots in the shootout.

Saturday, February 7

Wheeling 4 @ Cincinnati 3 (OT)

The Nailers closed their weekend with the first of five games against Cincinnati to be played during February. Cincinnati scored a power play goal at 3:53 of the first period to take a 1-0 lead. The Nailers tied the game 1-1 with a power play goal at 4:46. Mark Kosick scored the goal from Mario Larocque and J.C. Ruid. Brendon Hodge gave the Nailers the lead at 9:52 of the first period. Kamil Kuriplach and Eddie Pershin assisted on the Hodge goal. Cincinnati tied the game 2-2 in the second period. Before the period ended, the Nailers reclaimed the lead 3-2 on a power play goal by Pershin. Larocque had the only assist on the Pershin goal. The Cyclones tied the game and forced overtime with a goal at 19:22 of the final period with their goalie pulled for an extra attacker. The Nailers received a rare power play opportunity in overtime and capitalized by scoring the game-winning goal. Ruid scored the goal at 1:39 of overtime from J.F. Dufour and Hodge assisting. Joe Exter recorded his first professional win in his first professional start by making 20 saves on 23 shots.

PREVIEW OF UPCOMING NAILERS GAMES February 9-February 15

Friday, February 6

Wheeling @ Atlantic City 7:05p.m.

The Nailers travel to Atlantic City for the second time this season. The Nailers won the first game played in Atlantic City in a shootout 4-3. The NAilers are 2-1-0 against the Bullies this season.

Saturday, February 7

Wheeling @ Atlantic City 7:05p.m.

The Nailers and the Boardwalk Bullies will play three more times, twice in Atlantic City. These teams end the regular season against each other on Saturday, April 3.

Nailers Player of the Week:

The Nailers Player of the Week is Brendon Hodge. Hodge had one goal and two assists in three games played last week. He had an assist in a 4-3 shootout win in Dayton and one goal and one assist in a 4-3 overtime win in Cincinnati.

Nailers Goaltender of the Week:

The Nailers Goaltender of the Week is Joe Exter. Exter went 1-0-0 in his first start as a professional last week. He played the final 8:49 in a 3-0 loss in Johnstown on Wednesday and made two saves on two shots. On Saturday he made his first professional start and recorded his first professional win by making 20 saves on 23 shots for an overtime win.

Record for week: 2-1-0, 4 points

Record for season: 34-12-2, 70 pts. (1st in Northern Division, Eastern Conference, ECHL)

Player notes:

J.F. Dufour is second in the ECHL in scoring with 61 points on 20 goals and 41 assists...Dufour's 41 assists is tied for the league lead in that category...Brendon Hodge is tied for 14th in rookie scoring with 34 points on 18 goals and 16 assists...J.C. Ruid leads the Nailers and is tied for second in the league with a rating of +28...Ruid leads the team with six game-winning goals, Dufour and Hodge each have five game-winning goals.

Team notes:

For just the second time since the 1997-98 season, the Nailers have reached 70 points in a season...The Nailers had 83 points (37-24-9) in 1997-98 and 76 points (36-32-4) in 2001-02...The Nailers are second in the league in goals for per game with 3.75 and 13th in goals against per game with 2.77...The Nailers are tied for third in shots on goal for per game at 34.94 and second in shots on goal against at 27.21...The Nailers are currently on the season's second longest home winning streak in the league at 10 games.

Check out the Wheeling Nailers Statistics



ECHL Stories from February 9, 2004


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