The three-game series between the Wheeling Nailers and Iowa Heartlanders will come down to Saturday night’s season finale. Both teams collected 5-2 wins, as Wheeling took Wednesday’s opener, before Iowa responded on Friday night. The Heartlanders erased a 2-1 deficit with three goals in the second period, led by Zach White and Yuki Miura, who both posted multi-point efforts. Cédric Desruisseaux netted his team-leading 30th goal of the year for the Nailers, who also got a goal and a team-best 14 shots from Brooklyn Kalmikov.
The Nailers surrendered an early goal, but had a great final five minutes in the first period to take a 2-1 lead to the intermission. Iowa got its marker at the 7:18 mark, when Steven Leonard tipped in a right point wrist shot from Kevin McKernan. Wheeling got on the scoreboard with a successful power play. Cédric Desruisseaux flew down the left side of the ice, and as he made his way to the bottom of the left circle, he shoveled a wrist shot into the top-left corner of the net to become the fourth Nailer in the last 13 years with 30 goals in a season. Then, for the second game in a row, the Nailers lit the lamp with less than five seconds remaining in a period. Tanner Laderoute delivered a perfect centering pass to Brooklyn Kalmikov, who powered in a one-timer from the bottom of the left circle. David Jankowski assisted on both first period tallies.
Second periods have been a challenge for Wheeling this season, and that was the case on Friday, as the Heartlanders turned on the red light three times. Tommy Parrottino sent Austin Eastman in behind the defense, and Eastman had enough force behind his shot to send it in over the goal line for the equalizer at the 7:39 mark. Iowa went ahead with 4:48 remaining, when Yuki Miura sprung Zach White into the right circle, where he whizzed a wrist shot just inside of the left post. White and Miura combined again 1:53 later, when Miura tucked in the rebound of White’s initial shot, which dribbled to the left side of the crease.
The final frame started with some fireworks, as Jordan Wishman threw down the gloves with Leonard, and Wishman ended up being the only player to successfully land punches. There was only one goal in the period, and that belonged to Parrottino, who iced Iowa’s 5-2 win with an empty netter.
Mitch Benson earned the victory for the Heartlanders, as he stopped 40 of the 42 shots he faced, including all 18 attempts sent his way in the third. Brad Barone suffered the defeat for the Nailers, despite making 31 saves on 35 shots.
The Nailers and Heartlanders will play the final game of the 2022-23 season on Saturday night at 8:05 in Coralville. 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.
