FORT WAYNE, IN- The Wheeling Nailers put the finishing touches on their 27th season Sunday afternoon, but unfortunately, were unable to put one more win on the board. Jake Kamrass led the way with a hat trick for the Fort Wayne Komets, who were victorious, 5-2 at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Leading point scorer Zac Lynch and leading goal scorer Cedric Lacroix lit the lamp for Wheeling, while Michael Phillips was the only Nailer this season to appear in all 72 contests.
The first period featured a lot of excellent chances with 29 shots on goal, but only one puck found the back of the net. Fort Wayne's Dalton Hamaliuk let a shot go from the point that got settled by Jake Kamrass, who turned to his backhand to slip in the marker.
The scoring increased in the middle frame, starting at the 14-second mark, when J.C. Campagna sauced a pass to Jake Kamrass on the right side for the tally. The Nailers answered with two goals in 3:20 to temporarily pull even. On the first strike, Renars Krastenbergs blocked a clearing attempt to Zac Lynch, who whipped in a shot from the right circle. The equalizer came from Cedric Lacroix, who netted his team-leading 22nd goal of the season with a wraparound off a give-and-go with Max Coatta. With 2:27 left in the period, the Komets regained the lead off a scramble. Anthony Nellis ultimately potted the goal from the bottom of the right circle.
Fort Wayne tacked on two more goals in the third period, as Kamrass completed his hat trick by finishing a 2-on-1 rish with Justin Hodgman, then Brady Shaw jammed in a loose puck on the right side of the crease, giving the match a 5-2 final score.
Alex Dubeau was the winning netminder for the Komets, as he stopped 31 of 33 shots. Matt O'Connor made 36 saves on 41 shots for Wheeling.
The Wheeling Nailers would like to thank all of their outstanding fans for all of their support during the 2018-19 season, and they look forward to seeing everyone in 2019-20. Visit WheelingNailers.com and follow the Nailers on all their social media platforms for all the latest news and information throughout the summer.
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