WHEELING, WV- Louis-Philip Guindon had been a visitor at WesBanco Arena many times this season, but on Saturday night, he made quite the statement as a member of the Wheeling Nailers. The rookie goaltender stopped 46 of the 48 shots he faced, giving the Nailers one of their best goaltending performances of the season. Unfortunately, the team came up short on the scoreboard, as Alec Rauhauser snapped a tie with less than four minutes to go, lifting the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to the 2-1 road win.
With Wheeling playing two games in Fort Wayne and the Swamp Rabbits having been off since Monday, it was clear early on that the visitors were going to have control of the game's pace. Greenville outshot Wheeling 17-3 in the first period, then 17-6 in the second, but goose eggs remained on the board.
Early in the third period, the Nailers broke through with the first goal of the night on the power play. Patrick McNally slid the puck over to Joshua Winquist, who roofed a wrist shot from the right circle. The Swamp Rabbits knotted things up at the 5:51 mark, as they cycled the puck around the offensive zone. Joey Haddad set up Ben Finkelstein for a one-timer from the left point. With 3:32 remaining, Greenville took the lead, as Alec Rauhauser tossed in a wrist shot from the left point. Wheeling gave it one final gasp at the end, which included a Patrick Watling shot that got tipped on goal, but the Swamp Rabbits prevailed with the 2-1 final.
John Lethemon got the win for Greenville, as he came away with 17 saves on 18 shots. Louis-Philip Guindon was magnificent in hs Nailers debut, as he turned away 46 of the 48 attempts sent his way.
The Nailers and Swamp Rabbits will play the back half of their weekend set in Wheeling on Sunday at 4:10. A limited number of tickets are available for Wheeling Nailers home games, and season memberships and flex packs are also available. To purchase yours or to get more information, visit wheelingnailers.com or call (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
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