ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers Celebrate USA Hockey with Shootout Win

February 15, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


WHEELING, WV- On Saturday night, the Wheeling Nailers celebrated United States Olympic Hockey in more ways than one. After Clark Donatelli bobbleheads were handed out at the start, the evening finished with a shootout victory, similar to how the Americans knocked off Russia earlier in the day. Barry Goers netted the deciding goal in the eighth round, as the Nailers defeated the Elmira Jackals, 2-1 in front of 3,032 fans at WesBanco Arena.

The Nailers opened the scoring at the 14:40 mark of the first period, while playing on the man advantage. Zack Torquato threw the puck out to the top of the left circle, where Denver Manderson tapped a pass to Mike Ratchuk at the middle of the blueline. With traffic in the slot, Ratchuk drove a one-timer into the back of the cage, giving Wheeling a 1-0 lead.

The score remained that way until the 6:29 mark, when the Jackals pulled even. Artem Demkov stole the puck in neutral ice, leading a 2-on-1 rush down the left side of the ice. Demkov kept the puck to himself, picking the top corner on Peter Mannino's glove side. That tally forced overtime, and eventually a shootout, as Mannino and Neil Conway put on a show between the pipes.

After a Wheeling miss, Mike Vaskivuo opened the scoring for Elmira, dragging a backhander through Mannino's legs. Mike Ratchuk evened the score in the third round for the Nailers, flipping a shot over Conway's glove. Neither team was able to light the lamp in rounds four, five, and six, before the two sides exchanged tallies in the seventh round. Sahir Gill scored for Wheeling with a stick side shot, before Jordan Pietrus answered, going through the legs. Finally, Barry Goers and Dane Walters came away with different results, as Goers' shot squeezed through Conway, while Mannino denied Walters.

Peter Mannino earned the first star of the game for the third time this season, winning the game for Wheeling with 26 saves on 27 shots. Neil Conway failed to pick up a win for the first time this season for Elmira, despite stopping 32 of the 33 shots he faced.

The Nailers will begin a six-game road trip on Sunday afternoon, when they visit the Fort Wayne Komets at 5:05. Wheeling's next home game takes place on March 1st at 7:00 against the Reading Royals.

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ECHL Stories from February 15, 2014


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