Nailers win in exciting 2-1 shootout at Cincy
Published on February 20, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
Cincinnati, OH - With the Nailers facing a long trek across Ohio and Pennsylvania for their next game at Trenton on Sunday the last thing the Nailers needed was a longer battle in their Saturday night game at Cincinnati. But that's exactly what the Wheeling Nailers got and the team ended up not minding having to stay for the extra time as they prevailed in an exciting 2-1 shootout win.
In a game featuring an intense and playoff type intensity and atmosphere the Wheeling Nailers got the win against the ECHL's hottest team. Billy Ryan scored what proved to be the game-winner in the 4th round of the shootout. Andrew Lord scored the lone Nailers goal in regulation, his 12th of the year.
The stars of the game though included Nailers goalie Adam Berkhoel who turned aside 28 of 29 Cyclones shots and the Wheeling Nailers penalty kill who withstood back to back Cincinnati power plays late in the 3rd period including 16 seconds of 5-on-3.
Lord jammed one off Cincinnati goalie Jeremy Smith and stayed with the rebound to fire it home 7:00 into the opening period staking the visitors to a 1-0 lead. Billy Ryan won the puck along the end-boards and got it to Lord out front.
Cincinnati tied the game at 1-1 later in the 1st as Mark Voakes picked off a clearing try, cut to the slot, and wrister a shot over the right shoulder of Berkhoel.
After gaining only 2 shots on goal in the 1st period the Nailers would turn things on in the 2nd and get 11 shots in a row but were unable to push one past Smith. The shots were decidedly in the Nailers favor at 11-0 for the first 14 minutes of the 2nd period and then the Cyclones would turn on their A-Game and blast away on the next 10 shots in a row.
Joey Haddad hit the post in the 2nd period from the right-wing on the short side for the closest Wheeling would come to scoring in the frame.
The 3rd period featured even more intensity and hitting as both teams seemed to try to out-do each other in the exciting contest in front of over 7,000 fans on Cincinnati's Pink-in-the-Rink promotion.
The Cyclones would benefit from back to back power plays at the end of the 3rd period including 16 seconds of 5-on-3 time but the Nailers penalty kill stood tall and Berkhoel made the big saves when needed. In the abbreviated 5-on-3, Cleve Kinley would get to a puck in the slot and Lord would lift it all the way down ice for a valuable clear.
In the overtime period, the Nailers would fire 6 shots on Jeremy Smith and also had an Aaron Clarke blast go off the metal, the 2nd time Wheeling would find the iron on the night.
Both teams would ring one off the post in the shootout that followed. Joey Haddad, Thomas Beauregard and Billy Ryan all scored in the shootout while Mitch Ganzak missed by an inch when he blasted his shot off the post.
Adam Berkhoel kicked aside the attempt of Matt Pierce in the 5th round to finish the win.
The Nailers improve to 27-24-4 with the win and are 4-6-0 against Cincinnati this season. Wheeling is 3-2 in shootouts and 7-4 post-regulation in overtime and shootout combined. Cincinnati extended their unbeaten-in-regulation streak to 11 games at 9-0-2 as their overall record moved to 35-17-5. It was only Cincinnati's 2nd shootout loss of the season in 6 games.
The Wheeling Nailers will tangle with the Trenton Devils Sunday afternoon at 4:00 after a 10 hour bus-ride across Ohio and Pennsylvania and likely arriving at the hotel in New Jersey at about 10:00 a.m.
Wheeling returns to Cincinnati for their 11th matchup of the regular season Wednesday night at 7:30.
Wheeling's next home games are March 5th through 7th on a 3-in-3 weekend including a WTRF Friday Family Four Pack night on March 5th and an O.V. McBear Bobblehead giveaway night on Saturday, March 6th and finishing with a Sunday Family FunDay and post-game open skate on March 7th with the Nailers as part of every Sunday home game.
Call the Nailers at 304-234-GOAL or toll-free at 1-877-NAIL-TIX. Get your tickets online at the team's website at wheelingnailers.com.
ECHL Stories from February 20, 2010
- Jackals use two late goals to defeat Royals - Elmira Jackals
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- Second Straight Shoot-Out leads to Everblades Victory over Kalamazoo - Florida Everblades
- Cyclones Drop 2-1 Shootout Verdict to Wheeling - Cincinnati Cyclones
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- Stingrays Gameday: Pink In The Rink Tonight Vs. Walleye - South Carolina Stingrays
- Countdown To Face-Off - Kalamazoo Wings
- Condors Take Down Stockton 5-4 In A Shootout - Bakersfield Condors
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