Walleye Take Series Lead Home
April 25, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
WHEELING, WV- Hockey is a game of breaks, and on Saturday night, the Toledo Walleye had two scenarios go in their favor, allowing them to defeat the Wheeling Nailers, 2-1, taking a 3-2 lead in the Best-of-Seven North Division Semi-Final Series. After Jeff Lerg made a circus save to prevent a Wheeling lead, AJ Jenks put the visitors ahead with a strong individual effort. The Nailers will have to win twice on the road to have hopes of advancing to round two.
The Nailers played a stellar first period, outshooting Toledo, 11-2, while gathering in the game's opening goal. While playing on the man advantage at the 4:52 mark, Morgan Ellis let a wrist shot go from the left point. Chaz Johnson parked himself in front of the crease, where he got a piece of the initial shot, putting it into the net. Jarrett Burton also assisted on the marker, setting up Ellis with a pass around the wall.
Toledo delivered some pushback in the middle frame, which included the scoring of the tying goal on a power play. Shane Berschbach slipped a pass through the slot from the right wing wall to the top of the left circle. Justin Mercier was the recipient of the pass, as he skated in with a wrist shot, which flew into the top-right corner of the cage. Shane Sims picked up the secondary assist with the first pass to Berschbach.
The score stayed tied until the latter stages of the third period, when Wheeling nearly went ahead, but Toledo did. Shane Bakker was robbed on a lunging save by Jeff Lerg, setting the stage for AJ Jenks' heroics moments later. Jenks skated down the right side of the ice, before eluding two defenders in the slot, where he picked the top-left corner of the net. The Nailers were unable to even the score, as they fell, 2-1.
Jeff Lerg stopped 31 of the 32 shots he faced in the win for Toledo, while Eric Hartzell was successful on 19 of 21 chances for Wheeling in the defeat.
The Nailers and Walleye will play game six of the North Division Semi-Final Series on Tuesday night at 7:35 in Toledo.
Second round playoff tickets and scheduling information will become available should the Nailers advance.
Wheeling Nailers 2015-16 season tickets, as well as flex tickets, group tickets and single-game tickets for 2014-15 are on sale now. For more information, call 304-234-GOAL or visit wheelingnailers.com.
Listen to all Nailers regular season and post-season games live on the Valley's rock station EAGLE 107.5 FM, on www.iheartradio.com or watch live on www.echl.tv. Catch every road game live on WLUTV on Comcast Cable 14.
ECHL Stories from April 25, 2015
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- Walleye Take Series Lead Home - Wheeling Nailers
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- Countdown to Face-Off: Kalamazoo Wings vs Fort Wayne Komets (Game Five) - Kalamazoo Wings
- ECHL Transactions - April 25 - ECHL
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- ECHL Today - April 25 - ECHL
- Stingrays Playoff Game Preview: Stingrays and Royals Meet in Game 4 of East Division Semifinals - South Carolina Stingrays
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