ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers Fall in Cincy

Published on December 2, 2006 under ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


CINCINNATI, OH- The Wheeling Nailers (7-10-0) have only won three games on the road this season. Two of them were in Cincinnati against the Cyclones. Friday night though, didn't go their way as the dropped a 5-2 decision to the Cyclones (8-8-0) at US Bank Arena.

In a game that the Nailers never led, they allowed three power-play goals to a power-play unit that was ranked 22nd out of 25 teams when the game began.

Rory Rawlyk began the season in the Swedish Elite League and signed with the Cyclones just prior to the game on Friday. He opened the scoring with a power-play tally 8:21 into the first period. Rawlyk took a pass from Sam Ftorek and carried the puck into the Nailers' end. He threw the puck towards the net on his backhand with Barret Ehgoetz crashing in front and the puck managed to sneak through the body of Andy Franck.

It would get worse for Wheeling before it would get better. With the Nailers on the power play, Tim Wallace's pass was stolen at the offensive blue line. Corey Urquhart and Torry Gajda advanced on a 2-on-1 with Ryan Moren. As Moren laid down to cut off the pass, Urquhart ripped a snapshot past Franck to register the shorthanded goal at the 15:38 mark of the first.

Just before the end of the first, Joe Guenther notched his sixth goal of the season with 16.1 to play in the frame. Rookies Wallace and Joe Jensen were credited with assists as Guenther took the puck from his own zone and reached the far faceoff dot before he slid the puck through the legs of Cedrick Desjardins.

Wheeling used the momentum to even the score early in the second. Jon Smyth's shot from near the wall prompted a rebound to fall on the doorstep where Jon Foster fought it home.

With the game tied at two, Jean-Michael Daoust took advantage of one of Grant McNeill's four minor penalties in the game. Rawlyk flipped a puck on net that forced Franck to make a last minute kick save. Daoust knocked the rebound out of the air and into the back of the net for the eventual game winner.

Daoust and Rawlyk connected again for an insurance goal 1:23 into the third. Daoust tipped a shot from the point through for his second goal of the game and another power-play score.

Gajda knocked yet another airborne puck into the net with 4:59 to go in the third for the games final goal.

Cincinnati was 3 of 10 on the man-advantage while the Nailers were 1 for 5. Franck stopped 30 of 35 shots while his counterpart, Desjardins, handled 29 of 31.

Wheeling returns home for a weekend series with the Gwinnett Gladiators starting Saturday at 7:30pm and concluding Sunday at 6:00pm.

Individual and group tickets for all Nailers home games, as well as special ticket pacakages, are on sale now. For ticket information, contact the Nailers at 304-234-GOAL.

Check out the Wheeling Nailers Statistics

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ECHL Stories from December 2, 2006


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