Nailers vs. Thunder Game Day Snap Shot

WHEELING NAILERS(7-2-2-0, 16 PTS, T-2nd North, T-3rd East)47 GF, 40 GAPP: 31.0% (18-for-58), 1stPK: 75.4% (43-for-57), 26th

24-F-Reid Gardiner (10 goals, 7 assists, 17 points in 11 games)11-F-Cody Wydo (5 goals, 12 assists, 17 points in 11 games)21-F-Cam Brown (2 goals, 12 assists, 14 points in 11 games)8-F-Nick Sorkin (3 goals, 10 assists, 13 points in 11 games)23-F-Garrett Meurs (7 goals, 4 assists, 11 points in 10 games)26-D-Kevin Schulze (1 goal, 7 assists, 8 points in 11 games)31-G-Sean Maguire (4-2-0 record, 3.84 GAA, .901 Sv% in 7 games)

ADIRONDACK THUNDER(7-4-1-1, 16 PTS, T-2nd North, T-3rd East)49 GF, 46 GAPP: 19.3% (11-for-57), 6thPK: 78.6% (44-for-56), 22nd

24-F-Ty Loney (9 goals, 6 assists, 15 points in 13 games)59-F-Eric Neiley (5 goals, 7 assists, 12 points in 12 games)20-F-Pierre-Luc Mercier (2 goals, 9 assists, 11 points in 13 games)15-F-James Henry (6 goals, 4 assists, 10 points in 13 games)10-F-Terrence Wallin (5 goals, 4 assists, 9 points in 12 games)37-D-Desmond Bergin (2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points in 13 games)29-G-Nick Riopel (4-4-1 record, 3.91 GAA, .871 Sv% in 9 games)

Head to Head2016-17 Season Series: Nailers 1, Thunder 12016-17 Season Series at WesBanco Arena: Did Not PlayAll-Time Series: Nailers 3, Thunder 2All-Time Series at WesBanco Arena: Thunder 1, Nailers 0

We Sank Their BattleshipThe Wheeling Nailers finished off a stretch of three games in three days on Sunday afternoon, and despite the challenging schedule, they prevailed 5-3 against the rested Norfolk Admirals. Garrett Meurs scored the lone goal in an explosive first period for Wheeling ripping in a shot off of a Cam Brown face-off win. Brown and Meurs were also involved in the offense during the middle frame, as Brown had a puck bounce off of him for the team's second goal, and Meurs finished off a Freddie Tiffels feed for a 3-0 advantage. Norfolk trimmed the margin to one by the time the period ended, but in the third, the Nailers pulled away, as Cody Wydo buried a shot on a breakaway, and Hunter Fejes banged in another pass from Tiffels for tally number five. Will King was busy and successful in goal for Wheeling, earning the win by stopping 39 of 42 shots.

Couldn't Muster up a Second OneThe Adirondack Thunder were involved in a tremendous goaltending battle on Sunday afternoon, as they clashed with the Brampton Beast at Powerade Centre. Connor Ingram made his third start in as many days for the Thunder, and still had enough gas left in the tank to deny 37 of 38 Brampton shots during regulation and overtime. However, Andrew D'Agostini was equally good for the Beast, turning aside 43 of 44 Adirondack attempts. The lone goals came from Brampton's Jordan Henry at 12:34 of the first and Ty Loney of Adirondack at 40 seconds of the third. Neither team was able to light the lamp during the first three rounds of the shootout. After Terrence Wallin missed in round four for the Thunder, Chris Leveille sent the fans home happy, winning the contest for the Beast.

A Story Fit for a KingWill King grew up in Valencia, Pennsylvania, and as a young hockey player, his favorite team was the hometown Pittsburgh Penguins. During his childhood, his travels occasionally brought him to WesBanco Arena, where he watched the Wheeling Nailers play. As King continued to turn hockey into a career, he played in various places, including Sweden and Atlantic Canada. At age 23, he attended training camp with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Wheeling Nailers, appearing in exhibition contests. He then made his ECHL debut on November 3rd in relief against the Cincinnati Cyclones, but this past Sunday afternoon was a day he will remember for quite some time. With his parents in the stands, Will made his first career start in the same building he attended games in growing up, and turned aside 39 of 42 shots, not only collecting the win, but also being chosen as the game's first star.

Early Birds Catch the Worms2017-18 is the fourth consecutive seasons in which the Nailers have hosted Education Day, with opening face-off taking place in the morning. Wheeling has enjoyed great success in recent seasons both on and off of the ice on Education Day, as the team is anticipating its third straight sellout, while searching for its fourth win in a row. Goals have flown in at high rates during the past two seasons, as the Nailers edged the Brampton Beast 6-5 in 2016-17, while nobody will forget the miraculous comeback in 2015-16, when Wheeling scored five goals in 4:10, rallying from a 5-2 deficit to stun the Cincinnati Cyclones, 7-5. The Nailers have won six of their last seven morning tilts, with the lone setback coming in a shootout at Kalamazoo during the 2013-14 campaign. This is the first of three morning games for Wheeling this season (2 home, 1 away), while Adirondack will drop the puck after 12:00 for the remainder of the campaign.

Getting to Know the DivisionTuesday morning marks the first of four head-to-head meetings between the Nailers and Thunder this season, as well as the first of two battles at WesBanco Arena. Adirondack joined the ECHL at the start of the 2015-16 campaign, but has only made one previous trip to the Friendly City, picking up a 4-1 win on October 30, 2015. Since then, the two sides have collided four times in Glens Falls, New York, where Wheeling has had good success, going 3-0-1. This is the fourth of 36 games within the North Division for the Nailers, who will get their first look at the Worcester Railers coming up on November 22nd. The Thunder are playing their sixth divisional match, and they will get to know their rivals very well, as they are in the midst of a stretch in which 28 of 30 games are against North Division foes. Adirondack will return to Wheeling on January 10th, and the Nailers first visit to New York takes place on February 25th.