The chance at a winning home weekend will come down to Sunday afternoon for the Wheeling Nailers, who had a difficult go at it on Saturday night, as they dropped a 4-1 decision to the Iowa Heartlanders. After scoring once in the first period, Iowa rattled off three goals in a span of 4:16 in the second to collect the win at WesBanco Arena. Tyler Drevitch was the lone goal scorer for Wheeling.
The Nailers got off to a bit of a slow start in the first period, as Iowa held a 13-6 advantage in shots, and took a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard. Joe Widmar carried the puck down the left wing wall, then dished a pass into the slot for Jack Billings, who kicked the feed to his backhand, and slipped it through Stefanos Lekkas’ legs.
The Heartlanders opened things up in the early stages of the middle frame, as they tallied three times in the opening seven minutes. Zach White netted the first goal of the period off of a rush with Ryan Kuffner and Kris Bennett, as he roofed a wrist shot from the right circle. 1:26 later, Bennett stole the puck at his own blueline and was off to the races, as he broke away and sifted in a backhander. Billings added his second of the night a few minutes after that, when he converted a feed from Cole Stallard in the right circle.
Tyler Drevitch gave Wheeling a bright spot at the 5:33 mark of the third period, when he drilled in a centering pass from Bobby Hampton. Unfortunately, the Nailers were unable to dig themselves back into the game, as the fell, 4-1.
Hunter Jones picked up the win for Iowa, as he denied 33 of the 34 shots he faced. Stefanos Lekkas took the loss for Wheeling, as he surrendered four goals on 18 shots, before Brody Claeys went 8-for-8 in relief.
The Nailers will finish their three-game home weekend on Sunday afternoon, when they face the Cincinnati Cyclones at 4:10. Wheeling also has a pair of home contests next weekend, highlighted by Pittsburgh Penguins Night on Saturday, February 12th at 7:10. Fans attending that game will have a chance to take their picture with the Stanley Cup. Season memberships, single game tickets, and partial packages are available, and fans can get more information 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.
