Nailers Game Preview - Reading Royals Vs. Wheeling Nailers
December 16, 2011 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
On Friday night, the Wheeling Nailers head to Cambria County War Memorial Arena for the third time this season, when they play host to the Reading Royals.
Thanks to their three wins in four tries last week, the Nailers have moved back into a first place tie in the Atlantic Division with the Elmira Jackals. Wheeling currently has a 14-7-0-0 record, which is good for 28 points. The Nailers currently have three games in hand against the Jackals, who also have 14 wins and 28 points, but have ten regulation losses. On the other side of the equation, the Reading Royals are also in a tight race, as they are tied with the Trenton Titans for third place in the Atlantic Division. The Royals currently own an 8-12-3-2 record, which is good for 21 points, but the Titans have nine wins, and have played in one fewer contest than their nearby rival.
Reading and Trenton have been the recipes for Wheeling this month, as each of their first six games in December have been against those two clubs, with the next two games also scheduled against the Royals. In that stretch, the Nailers have gone 4-2, including a 3-1 mark under Clark Donatelli, who replaced Stan Drulia as the head coach early last week. As for the specifics last week, Wheeling won both of their games against Trenton, taking scores of 3-1 and 2-1, while splitting a pair of 4-2 games against Reading. Patrick Killeen played in three of the games, going 2-1, while Peter Delmas won his lone start.
The Royals took the ice three times last week, and came away with a regulation win, a regulation loss, and an overtime loss. The overtime loss came first, when the Trenton Titans picked up a goal from Ryan Hayes with 19 seconds to go in the extra session, giving them a 3-2 victory over the host Royals. Then, on Friday night, Reading earned their win, doubling up the Nailers, 4-2, while also putting an end to their nine-game winless streak. Finally, on Sunday, the Royals took their regulation loss, when Wheeling answered with a 4-2 win of their own. Mark Owuya was in goal for all three games for Reading, and is now 2-1-2 in the ECHL this season.
This will be the fourth meeting of the season between the Nailers and Royals, with the road team having won each of the first three. Wheeling took the first battle back on December 2nd, as they got out to a 5-0 lead in the second period, en route to a 5-1 triumph over the Royals at Sovereign Center. Reading rebounded exactly one week later on December 9th, as Mark Owuya's 55 saves, and Dennis McCauley's power play goal with less than four minutes to go gave the visitors the two points. Two days after that, the Nailers got their revenge on the Royals, erasing 1-0 and 2-1 leads, scoring three unanswered goals for a 4-2 victory of their own. Reading's Dale Mitchell leads the way with four goals and five points in the season series, while Chris Barton and Patrick Johnson both have two goals, two assists, and four points for Wheeling. Patrick Killeen has started all three games in goal for the Nailers, while Mark Owuya has started twice, and Joe Palmer has started once for the Royals.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Wheeling Nailers
14-7-0-0, 28 points, T-1st Atlantic Division, T-3rd Eastern Conference
74 GF, 55 GA
PP: 13-for-86 (15.1%), 19th
PK: 67-for-85 (78.8%), 16th
Active Leaders
Goals: Barton (15)
Assists: Hansen (13)
Points: Barton (26)
Penalty Minutes: Torquato (50)
+/-: Merth (+14)
Wins: Killeen (8)
GAA: Delmas (2.17)
Sv%: Delmas (.911)
Reading Royals
8-12-3-2, 21 points, T-3rd Atlantic Division, T-9th Eastern Conference
67 GF, 88 GA
PP: 21-for-107 (19.6%), 7th
PK: 87-for-106 (82.1%), 10th
Active Leaders
Goals: Labelle (11)
Assists: Tifu (12)
Points: Labelle (19)
Penalty Minutes: McCauley (56)
+/-: McCauley (+3)
Wins: Palmer (4)
GAA: Owuya (2.96)
Sv%: Owuya (.926)
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