The Wheeling Nailers opened their home season on Saturday night, and the sellout crowd of 4,790 fans will all tell you that the ending was one they’ll remember for a long time.
Wheeling trailed the Bloomington Bison 1-0 with less than 30 seconds left in the third period. That’s when the Nailers turned things completely around. Atley Calvert’s first professional goal tied the score with 27 seconds left, then Matthew Quercia scored with 12 seconds to go, and Wheeling celebrated a 2-1 triumph on home ice. The sellout was the team’s second straight in the home opener.
Both teams played and traveled on Friday night, which led to a bit of a slow start, as Bloomington outshot Wheeling, 10-5 during a scoreless opening stanza. It took all the way until the 15:38 mark of the second period for a goal to be scored, and it was the Bison who turned the tables with a shorthanded strike.
Gavin Gould led the charge on a 2-on-1 rush, and poked a pass through to Eddie Matsushima barreling down the slot. Matsushima had his initial shot stopped, but pounced on the rebound, and roofed it up and under the crossbar.
The Nailers pushed back hard in the third period, and outshot Bloomington, 15-6. Wheeling got a break with 2:06 to go, when Bryce Montgomery swatted the puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty. With under 28 seconds left, the home team pulled even. A mad scramble took place in the crease, and Atley Calvert ultimately jammed a rebound through goaltender Hugo Ollas for his first professional goal. Kyle Jackson and Chris Ortiz assisted.
It appeared the tilt might be headed to overtime, but with just over 12 seconds remaining, David Jankowski won a right circle face-off to Matthew Quercia, who spun in a low shot to send the sellout crowd into a frenzy. The Bison attempted a tying shot in the closing seconds, but the night belonged to the victorious Nailers, 2-1.
Jaxon Castor earned the win in goal for Wheeling, as he denied 24 of the 25 shots he faced. Hugo Ollas suffered the loss for Bloomington, as he made 27 saves on 29 shots.
The Nailers will take a quick road trip to Cincinnati on Wednesday to face the Cyclones at 7:35, before returning to WesBanco Arena for five straight home contests. The first two of those will take place on Friday, November 8th and Saturday, November 9th against the Trois-Rivières Lions. Friday’s game will be Military Appreciation Night with specialty jerseys and an Oath of Enlistment, plus it will be the first Frosty Friday of the season. Saturday’s game will be First Responders Night, which features a post game scrimmage of Guns vs. Hoses. The next Big-6 Promotional Night is Hall of Fame Night on November 30th.
Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2024-25 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.
