ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers Beat Reading for Second Straight Win

March 9, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


WHEELING, WV - The Wheeling Nailers have won back-to-back games after defeating the Reading Royals 6-3 Sunday night at WesBanco Arena. Curtis Darling turned in another great performance and Kyle Rank had a three-point night to propel the Nailers past the Royals for the third time this season.

For the second game in a row the Nailers scored the first goal of the game with Vadim Slivchenko's seventh of the year just 3:50 into the first period. Kyle Rank's pass was handled by the skates of Slivchenko and he froze Terry Denike with a fake slapshot before wristing one along the ice into the net.

Sean Collins was back in the lineup for the first time since February 23 and it took him 19:02 to put his name back on the score sheet. He placed a perfect saucer-pass behind the defense onto the stick of Aaron Clarke who snapped it inside the elbow of the goal posts for his tenth of the season.

Wheeling chased Denike from the net just 1:40 into the second period on a Kevin Croxton breakaway goal. Anthony Feyock was inserted into the game for just his second career appearance in the ECHL. Kyle Rank blasted a slapshot past him after only 1:02 after he entered the game to expand the Nailers lead to 4-0.

The Royals managed 26 shots on net in the second period but Darling stopped 25 of them. Their lone goal came at the 7:50 mark when Dany Roussin stole the puck from Darling behind the net and wrapped it into an empty net.

Vladimir Davecky and Brock Hooten scored 56 seconds apart in the opening minutes of the third period to bring the Royals back within one. Dravecky slammed a rebound home at 3:01 from Ned Lukacevic and Shawn Collymore and Hooten connected on a one-timer from Roussin and Steven Later at 3:57.

The Nailers answered at 5:30 to regain the two-goal advantage. Joe Guenther wristed one past Feyock for his third goal in the past two games and 13th of the season. John Krall earned an assist on the play.

Reading was held to only seven shots in the third period and Slivchenko iced the game with an empty netter at 18:58.

Darling stopped 43 of 46 shots for a total of 96 saves on 101 shots over the past two games. Wheeling was held to 0-for2 on the power play while Reading was held off the board on seven opportunites.

The Nailers will hit the road to face the Cincinnati Cyclones on Wednesday at 7:30pm. Coverage will be available on 97.3FM as well as on www.wheelingnailers.com. They return home to face the Cyclones again on Friday for a 7:35pm faceoff.

It is Pittsburgh Pirates night and Bob Robertson and Grant Jackson will be in attendance and available for autographs. The Pirate Parrot and Captain Jolly Roger will entertain the crowd and The Great Pierogi will make its way to WesBanco Arena.

One dollar from every regularly priced ticket sold will go to benefit St. Baldrick's Foundation. Also Tangles Hair Salon will be shaving heads in the concourse for a $5 donation. The Nailers will be wearing their special Guinness St. Patrick's Day jerseys that will be auctioned off after the game. Call 304-234-GOAL for more information or visit www.wheelingnailers.com.

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ECHL Stories from March 9, 2008


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