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ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Trenton Tops Wheeling Nailers 7-4

February 21, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


Trenton, NJ- After playing a couple of tighter and more controlled 2-1 battles in a split at Cincinnati on Friday and Saturday the Wheeling Nailers found themselves involved in a faster paced and wilder contest at the Trenton Devils Sunday evening. Devils rookie Matt Vokes led the attack with a four goal performance as Trenton turned away Wheeling 7-4 to wrap up the Nailers weekend of 3 away games in 3 days.

Trenton outshot Wheeling 42-36 in the back and forth affair.

Heading into the 3rd period in a 3-3 tie, the Devils would score 3 goals within the first 8 minutes to begin the final frame including the 3rd and 4th of the game from Vokes.

Michael-Lee Teslak took the loss for Wheeling allowing 6 of the 7 goals after Adam Berkhoel left the game midway through the first with an apparent minor injury.

Aaron Clarke (17th), Casey Pierro-Zabotel (11th), Thomas Beauregard (33rd) and T.J. Fox (20th) scored the goals for Wheeling.

Clarke got Wheeling on the board early as his centering feed through the slot just 33 seconds into the game deflected off the skate of Devils defenseman Chris Murray and into the goal for 1-0 Nailers lead.

Adam Berkhoel surrendered a goal to Matt Vokes 9:20 into the first and appeared to feel the effects of his efforts to kick away the shot with his right leg. After staying on for a couple more minutes to try to battle through it, Greg Puhalski decided to play it safe with Berkhoel's health and go with Michael-Lee Teslak.

Tim Kunes shot one from the left point through traffic late in the 1st to give Trenton a 2-1 lead. Teslak was screened by multiple bodies in front of him and no chance of finding the shot.

The Nailers took the lead in the 2nd period when Casey Pierro-Zabotel would chop down a give in the slot from Jon D'Aversa from the left point. The redirection was Pierro-Zabotel's 11th of the season and 2nd of the weekend in his return to the Nailers after a month-long call up to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Jordan Fox knifed his way into the slot to try to jam home a go-ahead goal. After Coleman stopped it dead along the post the clearing attempt was picked off by Beauregard in the slot who shot into the mostly open net for his 33rd of the year. At 6:34 into the 2nd period things were looking good for the Nailers as they had taken a 3-2 lead.

Then the Matt Vokes show took over as the rookie from Brown University scored at 10:17 into the 2nd to tie the game and then again back to back in the opening 5 minutes for the hat trick and then his 4th of the game. Jeff Prough tacked on another at 7:59 to stretch the lead to 6-3.

But Wheeling would climb back into the game just 33 seconds later as Joey Haddad burned past a defenseman up the right wing and nicely centered across to T.J. Fox on the back door slamming in his 20th of the season to close the gap to 6-4. The Nailers shortly thereafter went on the power play but were unable to take advantage.

Brett Wilson closed the scoring for the Devils moving in alone on net and sliding it in past Teslak.

Trenton went 3 for 8 on the power play while Wheeling was 0 for 4.

The Nailers remain 2 points back of 7th place Toledo in the American Conference race and also 3 points ahead of 9th place Gwinnett as both the Walleye and Gladiators lost their Sunday games. So Wheeling continues to hold the 8th and last playoff spot in the conference with 15 games remaining in the regular season.

The Nailers are 27-25-4 and are 1-2-0 against Trenton.

Wheeling returns to Cincinnati for their 11th matchup of the regular season Wednesday night at 7:30 as they plat game 5 of their season long 7 game road trip. The Nailers wrap up this busy stretch of travelling Friday and Saturday with back to back games at Reading and Elmira.

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.

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