Wydo Wins a Late One for Wheeling

WHEELING, WV- On Friday night, the Wheeling Nailers got back to some of the aspects of their games that made them successful, as they poured five goals into the back of the net, and came out victorious in the third period. Derek Army scored twice, and Cody Wydo provided the eventual winning goal with 1:17 left in the third period, as the Nailers edged the Utah Grizzlies, 5-4 at WesBanco Arena. Kyle Flemington also picked up his first North American professional goal in the triumph.

The Nailers experienced some difficulties in the first period, as they gave up two goals in a 17-second time frame. Utah's first tally came on the power play at the 11:11 mark of the stanza. A mad scramble led to multiple chances for the visitors. When the puck was finally freed, it was dished to Erik Higby, who lifted in a shot from the left circle. The following goal was scored off of the rush. Evan Stoflet skipped a shot on goal from the right side, which was stopped by Doug Carr. However, the rebound came right out to Colin Martin, who punched it back in to the net for a 2-0 advantage.

The second period was a different story, as Wheeling rebounded with a couple of strikes to even the score. The first goal came at the 12:01 mark. Kevin Schulze drove down the right side, feeding a pass to Cody Wydo. Wydo immediately returned the favor, allowing Schulze to take advantage of some extra space, floating a shot into the top-left corner. The equalizer came with 1:36 remaining. Once again, Schulze was involved, as he slid a shot on the frame from the right side. Ryan McKay made the initial save, but the rebound deflected out to Derek Army, who deposited the loose change for a 2-2 deadlock.

The offenses ramped themselves up in the third period, and while the last goal didn't win the game, a late strike did. The Nailers took their first lead of the evening at the 1:13 mark. Jordan Kwas swept a pass through the slot to Kyle Flemington, who tapped in his first North American professional goal. The Grizzlies tied things up on the power play 3:16 later, when Mathieu Aubin fished out a loose puck on the right side of the crease, and flipped it into the cage. At the 10:12 mark, Wheeling went ahead again, as Army tipped in a left point shot by Brett Stern. With 1:17 remaining, Cody Wydo appeared to give the home team some insurance, as he took a patient pass from Christian Hilbrich, waited out McKay, and roofed a backhander over his glove. Utah closed the gap back to one in the final minute on a scramble, with Tim Daly getting credit. That was where the scoring came to its conclusion, as the Nailers were victorious, 5-4.

Doug Carr had a busy night, earning the win for Wheeling, as he made 34 saves on 38 shots. Ryan McKay took the loss in his professional debut for Utah, allowing five goals on 35 shots.

The Nailers and Grizzlies will meet again on Saturday night at 7:05 for Pittsburgh Pirates Night. Manager Clint Hurdle is the star attraction, while the Pirate Parrot and Bucco Brigade will also be a part of the festivities, and Wheeling will wear special jerseys. Fans can purchase Black & Gold Ticket Packages through the Nailers office, which guarantee VIP line access to meet the celebrities on Pittsburgh Pirates Night, Pittsburgh Penguins Night, and Steelers vs. Browns Night. To purchase tickets, or to get more information about season tickets, mini plans, group tickets, packages, and more, call (304) 234-GOAL.