Some nights, all it takes is one. That was the case on Saturday night at Xtream Arena, as the Wheeling Nailers and Iowa Heartlanders watched their goaltenders put on a show.
Wheeling’s Taylor Gauthier and Iowa’s Drew DeRidder kept the contest scoreless for the duration of regulation. At the 2:59 mark of overtime, Justin Lee delivered the only tally of the night, as the Nailers earned their 1,100th win in team history with a 1-0 final score.
Wheeling’s penalty kill was a big part of the story in the first period or so, as they were a man down for six of the opening 23 minutes of play, which included a four-minute kill assessed late in the opening stanza. The Nailers slowly built themselves back up after they got the job done, as they initially fell behind in shots, 20-13. The shots were 24-24 after the second, then Wheeling took control to a tune of 10-3 in the third. However, neither team was able to find the twine at that point.
With one point secured, the Nailers made sure that a second one went their way. Jordan Martel cruised from his own end all the way down the middle of the offensive blueline and into the zone. There, he dropped a pass back to Justin Lee, who curved into the high slot, and wired a wrist shot into the top-left corner of the cage to give Wheeling the 1-0 triumph. The win was the sixth for the team in overtime this season, and the club’s first 1-0 victory after regulation since March 21, 2018.
Taylor Gauthier earned his fourth shutout and 23rd win of the campaign for the Nailers, as he was perfect on 27 shots. Drew DeRidder made 35 saves on 36 shots in the overtime loss for the Heartlanders.
The Nailers and Heartlanders will conclude their season series in Iowa on Saturday at 7:05.
Wheeling’s next home game is Education Day against the Indy Fuel on March 19th at 10:45 a.m. That will be the first of four straight home contests for the Nailers, which will also feature the next Big Six Promotional Game – Wizards & Wands on March 23rd.
The first 2,500 fans at Wizards & Wands will receive a free wizard wand. There will also be acceptance letters to Wizarding School, specialty jerseys, Butter Beer, Quidditch, and more.
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.
