Nailers Shake Off Fuel, 4-1
INDIANAPOLIS, IN- The Wheeling Nailers needed a win in a big way on Saturday night at Indiana Farmers Coliseum, and they got it, thanks to a solid performance in all three zones. Tim Doherty opened and closed the scoring, plus he assisted on Justin Almeida's eventual game winner, while Alex D'Orio made 24 saves, as the Nailers upended the Indy Fuel, 4-1.
The Nailers had a great first period, as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead. The first marker came on the man advantage, following an undisciplined penalty by Indy's Riley McKay. Tim Doherty swatted at a loose puck at the right dot, and was able to guide a shot through goaltender Justin Kapelmaster. Doherty was also involved on the next goal, as he took a pass from Sean Josling to create a 2-on-1 break. Doherty delivered a perfect feed through the slot to Justin Almeida, who picked his spot and roofed a wrist shot from the left side.
Indy got a goal back in the early stages of the middle frame, but Wheeling carried its lead through the rest of the period. Bryan Lemos was the scorer, as he wired in a one-time feed from the slot, which was set up by Spencer Watson.
The Nailers maintained their one-goal advantage until the closing minutes of the contest, when they tacked on two empty netters to put the exclamation points on the 4-1 triumph. Jared Cockrell and Doherty were responsible for the final daggers.
Alex D'Orio earned the win for Wheeling, as he denied 24 of the 25 shots he faced, including a pair of huge stops in the third period, following a power play. Justin Kapelmaster took the defeat for the Fuel, as he made 29 saves on 31 shots.
The Nailers will continue their travels on Sunday afternoon at 3:00, when they visit the Kalamazoo Wings. They will then return to Indy to wrap up the road trip on Wednesday at 7:00. Wheeling's next home game is Throwback Night on Friday, March 25th at 7:10, which will feature special guests Louis Dumont and Paul Bissonnette. The Nailers will also be wearing specialty jerseys, and it's a Frosty Friday with $2 beer specials. The opponent that evening is Kalamazoo. Season memberships, single game tickets, and partial packages 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.