Walleye Win Series in Overtime of Game Seven
April 29, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
TOLEDO, OH- The Wheeling Nailers took the Brabham Cup Champion Toledo Walleye the distance in their Best-of-Seven North Division Semi-Final, leading to a "last goal wins" scenario. Unfortunately for Wheeling, that goal went to the Walleye, as Kyle Bonis scored a shorthanded goal at 2:54 overtime, lifting Toledo to the North Division Final with a 2-1 win at Huntington Center in game seven.
With their home crowd behind them, the Walleye got off to a quick start, scoring the game's first goal, while recording 11 of the first 13 shots. The goal came 3:40 into the contest, starting at the Toledo blueline, where Shane Sims kicked the puck to neutral ice, springing a 3-on-2 rush. Kyle Rogers slipped a pass to Kyle Bonis, who ripped a wrist shot along the ice and just inside of the right post.
Thanks to some brilliant goaltending from Eric Hartzell and Jeff Lerg, the score remained 1-0 all the way until the 12:37 mark of the third period, when the Nailers pulled even. AJ Jenks broke his stick on a pass in the center zone, allowing Wheeling to enter with numbers. Zack Torquato ended up with the puck on his stick in the slot, where he roofed a shot into the top-right corner of the cage. Riley Brace and Sahir Gill assisted on Torquato's fourth tally in two nights, which ultimately forced overtime.
In the extra session, the Nailers thought they had the chance they were looking for, as Justin Mercier was whistled for tripping. Unfortunately, the ultimate backfire occurred, as Bonis finished off a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush with a perfectly placed shot underneath the crossbar for the 2-1 Walleye win.
Jeff Lerg was the winning goaltender for Toledo, as he stopped 31 of the 32 shots he faced. Eric Hartzell suffered the tough decision in the other direction for Wheeling, thwarting away 37 of the 39 attempts he faced.
The Nailers will open the 2015-16 season on October 16th in Norfolk, with the home opener scheduled for October 24th against Brampton.
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 29, 2015
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