TROIS-RIVIÈRES, QC- The Wheeling Nailers solidified their spot in second place, and have locked up home ice advantage for the opening round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
Wheeling was victorious for the second straight day on the road against the Trois-Rivières Lions, and for the second day in a row, Quebec native Jordan Martel was the hero. Martel snapped a 1-1 tie in the second period, and Matt Koopman added an empty netter for a 3-1 final in favor of the Nailers. Lars Rødne also scored in his Wheeling debut, while Jaxon Castor made 18 saves.
Both teams scored in the opening stanza, but the Nailers were mere seconds away from taking a lead into the intermission. Wheeling notched the first goal of the afternoon at the 8:10 mark. Isaac Belliveau launched a pass up the left wall to spring Lars Rødne into the offensive zone. Rødne sped into the left circle, and whipped a hard enough shot to sift it through Hunter Jones’ legs. The score stayed 1-0 until 1.6remained in the period, when Trois-Rivières pulled even. Xavier Cormier set up Chris Jandric from a one-timer from the blueline, which got tipped in by Nicolas Guay.
The defensive style continued in the middle frame, as only one goal scored. The tally went the way of the Nailers, who regained the lead at the 7:58 mark. Jordan Martel flew into the right circle of the offensive zone, and drove a wrist shot into the left side of the cage.
The early stages of the third period saw some fireworks, as Matthew Quercia dropped the gloves with Morgan Adams-Moisan. After he finished delivering punches to his opponent’s face, Quercia helped to throw the final punch on the scoreboard, as he set up Matt Koopman for an empty net goal to finish off Wheeling’s 3-1 triumph.
Jaxon Castor collected the win in goal, as he blocked away 18 of the 19 shots he faced. Hunter Jones made 23 saves on 25 shots in the defeat for Lions.
The Nailers and Lions will close out the 2024-25 regular season in Trois-Rivières on Sunday at 3:00. Wheeling will then begin the Kelly Cup Playoffs with games one and two of the North Division Semifinal Series in Norfolk on Wednesday and Thursday. Games three through seven of the series will all be played at WesBanco Arena on April 23, 25, 26, 28, and 29, and all contests will begin at 7:10. Games five, six, and seven on April 26, 28, and 29 are if necessary. Tickets for the 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs are available by calling (304) 234-GOAL or visiting wheelingnailers.com. 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.
