WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers showed loads of heart on Friday night, as they opened up a three-game home weekend against the Trois-Rivières Lions at WesBanco Arena.
The Nailers battled back from a pair of deficits, then took their first lead of the game with 10:45 remaining on a goal by ECHL All-Star Brent Johnson. Wheeling made sure to hold onto that lead, as it defeated the defending champions, 4-3.
The win was the first of the season for the Nailers when trailing at the end of two periods.
The Nailers and Lions will continue their weekend series in Wheeling on Saturday night at 7:10 p.m. with Marvel Night. The theme will be the Fantastic Four, the Nailers will wear specialty Fantastic 304 jerseys, there will be a poster giveaway, and fans will be able to put their Fantastic Four skills to the test at various stations in the arena.
The Nailers had a bit of a challenging start, as Trois-Rivières scored two early goals, before the home team closed the gap to one. The first tally came on the power play at the 4:40 mark. Cédric Desruisseaux received a pass at the offensive blueline, then flew past the defense for a breakaway, which he converted by zipping a shot into the top-left corner of the cage. 50 seconds later, the Lions struck again.
Joel Teasdale’s shot got denied, but the rebound kicked out to the right circle for Wyatt McLeod, who got just enough on his attempt to slither the puck in along the ice. Wheeling was held without a shot for over 13 minutes, but made one of their tries count with 4:09 left in the stanza.
Tommy Budnick took advantage of traffic in the slot by delivering a low wrist shot which eluded goaltender Benjamin Gaudreau.
The Nailers continued to battle their way back, and for a few minutes, they played with a tied score. Matthew Quercia started the play that led to the equalizer by picking the pocket of his former teammate, Desruisseaux. That created a 3-on-2 rush, which was completed by Tanner Andrew, who drove into the slot and roofed a wrist shot into the top-left corner of the twine.
However, with 1:39 remaining, the Lions regained the lead. Riley Kidney cut from left to right in the offensive zone, then went against the grain by shoveling a shot up and into the top-left corner of the goal.
Wheeling was bound and determined to take points out of the game, and the team’s efforts were rewarded in the third period. The Nailers tied the tilt at the 5:15 mark. Matthew Quercia twirled his way around on the left side of the ice, then put a shot on goal, which was kicked out by Gaudreau.
The rebound landed in the low slot, where Craig Armstrong faked from his forehand to his backhand and flipped in the goal. Four minutes later, Wheeling took its first lead of the evening. Brent Johnson stepped in with a shot from the top of the right circle, and he got some puck luck, as the shot bounced off of Kidney’s skate in the slot, then took a right turn into the cage.
Trois-Rivières puts tons of pressure on in the closing minutes, and even played with an extra attacker for the final 3:30. But the Nailers stood tall and got the game to the finish line for a 4-3 triumph.
Taylor Gauthier earned the win for Wheeling, as he thwarted 24 of the 27 shots he faced, including all 11 in the third period. Benjamin Gaudreau made 21 saves on 25 shots in the loss for the Lions.
Following tonight’s matchup, the two teams will do battle again on Sunday at 4:10, and fans will have the opportunity to skate with the even-numbered players following that contest. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2025-26 season are available now 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.
