The Wheeling Nailers had the perfect scenario on Saturday night, as a sellout crowd of 4,716 fans was treated to an exhilarating game, which resulted in a 3-2 victory. Cédric Desruisseaux and Isaac Belliveau helped build a 2-0 lead for Wheeling in the first, before Davis Bunz netted the eventual game-winner with 9:53 remaining.
The first period was exactly what the Nailers were hoping for with the home fans cheering them on. Wheeling outshot the Royals, 9-3, and jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the scoreboard. The first goal came at the 11:39 mark. Lukas Svejkovsky drove to the left side of the crease and jammed the puck into a pile of bodies.
The shot ultimately created a rebound for Justin Addamo, who flipped a backhander that got tipped in by Cédric Desruisseaux. With 52 seconds remaining, the Nailers extended their lead. Addamo handed the puck off to defenseman Isaac Belliveau, then cruised toward the goal, which created loads of space on the left side of the ice. Belliveau stepped up into the left circle, and roofed a wrist shot into the top-right corner of the cage for his first professional goal.
Wheeling poured on all sorts of pressure with 15 shots in the middle frame, but the margin remained at two until the final two minutes, when Reading got on the board. Shane Sellar floated a pass through the slot to Ryan Chyzowski, who put the puck on his backhand and flipped a shot up and under the crossbar.
The Nailers got a key goal at the 10:07 mark of the third period to push their lead to two. Davis Bunz let a shot go from the right point, which had eyes, as it dribbled all the way through a maze of players and into the net. The significance of that marker grew, as the Royals trimmed their deficit to one with 7:18 left.
Koletrane Wilson slid the puck along the ice from the right point, and connected with Matt Brown, who ramped the feed into the left side of the twine. Wheeling’s defense stood tall all night, as it limited Reading to 17 shots, and that allowed the home side to put the finishing touches on a 3-2 win.
David Tendeck earned the victory in his Nailers debut, as he made 15 saves on 17 shots. Will Cranley took the defeat for the Royals, as he stopped 28 of the 31 shots he faced.
The Nailers and Royals will meet up again on Sunday at 4:10. The traditional post game skate returns for another season, and the odd-numbered players will be skating this week. New to Sunday games this season is Screentime Sunday, as one lucky fan will win a new TV, courtesy of Walmart. Fans will also be able to enjoy $2 ice cream sundaes at the Grand Vue Park stand.
Next weekend’s highlight game is Military Appreciation Night on November 11th, and the next Big Six game is Wheeling Wonderland on Saturday, December 9th. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2023-24 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.
