The Wheeling Nailers are heading to the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs! On Saturday night, the club punched its ticket with a dominant performance in a 6-0 victory over the Cincinnati Cyclones at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Jaxon Castor denied all 17 shots he faced, and Wheeling got two goals each from Jordan Martel and Matt Koopman.
Neither team was able to get onto the scoreboard in the first period, but that changed in a hurry, as Wheeling poured it on in the middle frame with four goals and a 15-4 shots advantage. The opening marker came at the 34-second mark. Justin Addamo fended off some checkers, then placed a pass into the low slot, where Matt Koopman stepped in and drilled a shot into the bottom-left side of the cage. As the midway mark of the period approached, the Nailers converted on the power play for the fourth game in a row. Jordan Martel delivered a pass to Justin Lee, who powered in a one-timer from the middle of the blueline. Martel was also involved on the next tally, but that time, he was the one who put the biscuit in the basket. Davis Bunz threaded a pass to Martel, who pulled the puck around to his backhand, and lifted a shot into the top-left corner. 30 seconds after that, Jared Westcott tipped Lee’s left point wrist shot down and in to put Wheeling up, 4-0.
The Nailers tacked on two more goals in the third period. Martel swatted in a cross-crease pass from Koopman at the 5:58 mark, then Koopman capped off the scoring by launching a shorthanded slapshot into the top-right corner of the twine. Those markers put the finishing touches on the 6-0 triumph.
Jaxon Castor was perfect on 17 shots to earn his tenth victory of the season in goal for Wheeling. Rylan Parenteau took the loss for the Cyclones, as he allowed six goals on 35 shots.
The Nailers will face the Indy Fuel in the opening round of the playoffs. The full schedule for that series and other scheduling details will be announced in the coming days. 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.
