Nailers take 3-2 lead in series
WHEELING, W.Va. – Riley Brace scored twice while Ty Loney also added a goal and an assist to lead Wheeling to a 4-3 victory over the Florida Everblades Saturday night to take a 3-2 lead over the Everblades in their ECHL Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Picking up where they left off Friday night, Wheeling got on the board first midway through the opening period. Taking advantage of a turnover in the Everblades zone, Ty Loney won the race to the puck and turned toward the net. Loney swerved right around Everblades goaltender Anthony Peters, backhanding the puck past Peters’ outstretched leg and into the net.
Wheeling doubled its lead just before the halfway point of the first period. Riley Brace fired a slap shot toward the traffic in front of the net. Skipping off the ice, the puck went cleanly through the traffic in front of goal and past Peters to give the Nailers the early 2-0 lead.
Wheeling took advantage of a power play attempt to make the score 3-0 midway through the first period. Getting the puck in the attacking zone, Riley Brace fired a drive towards the net that somehow managed to beat Anthony Peters.
Heading into the second period, Wheeling continued to exert its dominance. Getting the puck to ECHL Defenseman of the Year Mathew Maione, the puck moved toward the high slot area. Sniping a powerful shot underneath the bar and into the back of the net, Maione gave the Nailers a 4-0 lead. The goal also served as the final action of the game for Peters, who was replaced by Rasmus Tirronen following the goal.
Finally breaking the Wheeling goal streak, the ‘Blades got on the board just past the halfway mark of the second period. With three seconds remaining on a power pla, Everblades captain Matt Marquardt corralled a pass from Gabriel Desjardins and ripped his quick shot past Wheeling goaltender Brian Foster.
The Blades cut the Nailers lead to two off of a shorthanded tally by Jon DiSalvatore. Breaking on a 2-on-1 attempt, Kevin Lynch took the puck low into the attacking zone. Backhanding the puck across the face of goal, DiSalvatore flushed the puck high into the net.
Cutting Wheeling’s lead in half, the Blades continued to build momentum late in the game in hope of completing the comeback attempt. Getting the puck into the attacking zone, Brendan O’Donnell threw a shot on goal that went off the pad of Foster. However, the rebound took the puck right to the stick of Ethan Werek whose quick shot buried the puck into the net.
The Blades attempted to complete the impossible comeback. Unfortunately, some stellar saves by Foster as well as some missed opportunities late in the game kept that dream from being realized, giving Wheeling the 4-3 victory.
Peters suffers the loss in goal for the Blades, allowing four goals on the 15 shots he faced. Tirronen stopped all of the 14 shots he faced.
The Blades return home for game six Monday night at Germain Arena in a must win situation against the Nailers.