Nailers Lose Weekend Finale To Cyclones 6-4
January 11, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
Jordan Morrison's 3 point afternoon gave him sole possession of the league lead in scoring but it wasn't enough as the Wheeling Nailers dropped a 6-4 decision to the Cincinnati Cyclones at WesBanco Arena on Sunday.
Wheeling lost all 3 games on the weekend, their first multi-game losing streak of the entire season. It was only the 2nd time in 9 tries the Cyclones have defeated the first place Nailers in regulation.
Morrison now has 16 goals and 34 assists for 50 points putting him 3 points ahead of Florida's Kevin Baker atop the league scoring chart.
Bryan "Boomer" Ewing scored his team leading 22nd goal of the year. Ewing is 3rd in the league in goals and 1st among rookies and also is the league leader in shorthanded goals with his 5th of the year. Ewing is 4th in the league in overall scoring and 2nd only to line-mate Morrison among all rookies.
Cincinnati jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 1st period on goals by Justin Johnson at 3:14 and Brandon Scero at 12:19.
The Nailers would fight back to tie the score on Ewing's shorthanded goal at 17:46 of the 1st and Jordan Morrison's power play goal at 0:49 of the 2nd. Ewing's goal was a big one-time slapshot off a face-off win by Andrew Lord in the Cincinnati zone immediately following the failed penalty shot try by Chris Snavely. Morrison's goal to begin the 2nd was a nice deflection top shelf from between the circles on the big blast from the left point by Elgin Reid.
Brandon Scero's 2nd goal of the game for the Cyclones at 12:28 put Cincy back in front at 3-2 but the lead would only last for a little more than a minute as Jordan Morrison would again light the lamp on the power play. This time Erik Johnson fed it right along the goal-line from the left-wing side of the crease just missing scoring the goal himself and Morrison was on the other end to pump it in on the backdoor and tie the game at 3-3 at 13:37.
The Cyclones got the early jump in the 3rd period though and would take the lead for good just 0:14 into the final frame as T.J. McElroy was on the doorstep to fire in his 8th of the year on a pass by Barrett Ehgoetz from behind the cage.
Ehgoetz gave the Cyclones a 5-3 lead at 7:16 of the 3rd with his 13th of the year.
Elgin Reid got the Nailers back into the game when the puck rolled out to him around the right point for a big one-time blast for his 8th of the year assisted by Erik Johnson and Jordan Morrison.
Wheeling went on the power play at 14:06 of the 3rd with a chance to tie the score and generated several good opportunities but most of their shots just missed the mark or were blocked by defenders. Shortly after Wheeling's power play chance ended the Cyclones raced back into the Nailers' end and Ben Gordon blasted it home from the top of the right circle at 16:42 for his 6th of the year and something of a back-breaker on the day for the Nailers.
Wheeling pulled goalie Curtis Darling with 2:10 remaining and shortly after went on the power play as well for a 6-on-4 attack but was unable to challenge Cyclones winning goalie Ryan Nie.
Wheeling hit the midway point of the season with today's game now having played 36 games with 36 remaining. The Nailers are 22-9-5 at the middle point with a 3 point lead on the 2nd place Johnstown Chiefs in the North Division.
The Cyclones are in 4th place in the North with a mark of 18-15-5 for 41 points as they trail the 3rd place Dayton Bombers by 4 points.
The Nailers had a season low 17 shots on goal for the game including only 5 shots on goal in both the 1st and 2nd periods. Cincinnati outshot the Nailers 30-17.
Both teams went 2 for 5 on the power play and the Nailers registered their league leading 10th shorthanded goal of the year (tied for the most with Johnstown).
Wheeling is 6-2-1 vs. Cincinnati this year. The Cyclones are 3-6-0 vs. the Nailers.
The two teams will meet for their 10th of 11 regular season encounters this Wednesday night at US Bank Arena in Cincinnati. It will be the Nailers last trip of the year to the Queen City. The Nailers will travel to the Reading Royals on Friday night for a 7:30 encounter before returning for their next home game next Saturday night, January 17th for their 11th and last game of the year against the Cyclones.
That Saturday game is Nailers Knit Ski Cap giveaway night for the first 1000 kids 14 and under courtesy of WesBanco.
Wheeling has another great promotion lined up for Saturday, January 31st in their 8:05 game vs. the Mississippi Seawolves on Coach Reno Bobblehead night. The first 2500 fans get the Coach Reno bobblehead and the Nailers will be honoring the legendary coach of the Steubenville Big Red football program as well as the Steubenville community.
For more information contact the Nailers at 304-234-GOAL (that's 234-4625) or log on at wheelingnailers.com.
ECHL Stories from January 11, 2009
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- Bombers Held Scoreless by Trenton, Fall 5-0 - Dayton Bombers
- Coleman and Akeson Team Up to Blank Bombers, 5-0 - Trenton Devils
- Coyotes Recall Winnik from San Antonio - Phoenix RoadRunners
- Nailers Lose Weekend Finale To Cyclones 6-4 - Wheeling Nailers
- Cyclones Finish Strong in 6-4 Win at Wheeling - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Urquhart Recalled to Springfield - Stockton Thunder
- Royals Knock Off Steelheads, 5-4 - Reading Royals
- ECHL Today - ECHL
- Salmon Kings Set Mark for Second Longest Winning Streak in ECHL History - Victoria Salmon Kings
- Victoria Claims Victory Over Reign, 5-2 - Ontario Reign
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