Timely Effort Leads Nailers in Toledo

TOLEDO, OH- The Wheeling Nailers got some timely goals and phenomenal special teams on Friday night, as they earned a 3-2 triumph over the Toledo Walleye at Huntington Center. Jared Cockrell and Shaw Boomhower scored 61 seconds apart from each other in the second period, while Alex D'Orio made 24 saves in the win.

There were two goals scored in the first period, and they came 17 seconds apart from each other. Wheeling struck first on the man advantage. Matt Alfaro opened up the play by sending a pass to Tim Doherty, who let a wrist shot go from the top of the left circle. Billy Christopoulos made the save, but the rebound squirted out to Nick Hutchison, who pounced on the loose biscuit for the tally. The Walleye answered quickly. John Albert squibbed the puck toward the top of the crease, where Matt Berry ultimately sent a shot hopping into the cage for the equalizer.

The Nailers had a marvelous middle frame, as they outshot Toledo, 16-8, while tallying twice. The go-ahead marker came at the 9:48 mark, when an errant Walleye pass sent Jared Cockrell on a breakaway. Cockrell flew down the ice and chipped a forehand shot into the top-left corner of the cage. 1:01 later, the visitors struck again. Tyler Drevitch and Shaw Boomhower had an aggressive forecheck to force a turnover in the neutral zone. As the two turned defense to offense, Drevitch put a pass right on Boomhower's tape for a redirection on the right side of the crease.

Berry's second of the contest made things a little more interesting in the closing minute, but Wheeling made sure to close out its victory, 3-2.

Alex D'Orio earned his second straight win with another strong outing in goal, as he made 24 saves on 26 shots. Billy Christopoulos took the loss for Toledo, as he stopped 24 of the 27 shots he faced.

The Nailers will return home on Saturday at 7:10 for their Salute to Service Night against the Cincinnati Cyclones. The team will be wearing specialty jerseys to benefit the It's About the Warrior Foundation. The team will also be home on Sunday at 4:10 for Pajama Day against the Fort Wayne Komets. The next Big 6 Promotional Night is Elf Night on Saturday, December 11th. Season memberships, mini plans, and single game tickets are available, and fans can get more information by calling (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.