WHEELING, WV – Trailing entering the third period, the Kalamazoo Wings scored three times, including twice on the power-play defeat the Wheeling Nailers 4-2 and in the process even up the Best-of-Five Eastern Conference Quarterfinal match-up at a game apiece.
In what seemed a like a carbon copy of the first period in game one, either team had many scoring chances in the first period.
Wheeling’s best opportunity happened 9:34 into the period on a missed penalty shot opportunity from Chris Barton.
Feeding off the momentum of Riley Gill’s save minutes later, Kalamazoo jumped ahead with a goal from Kory Karlander (1st). With the puck the left the Nailers net, Karlander took three whacks at the free puck to slide the puck around the leg pad of Patrick Killeen.
Tying the game at 1-1 early in the second period, Phillip Samuelsson (1st) used a screen in the front of the K-Wings net to beat Gill over his left shoulder 1:05 into the stanza.
The hero of game one, Andrew Hotham (2nd) put the Nailers in front 15:14 into the middle frame with a left circle wrister that was setup from a behind the net pass from Paul Crowder, who assists was his second in the game.
Mike Matczak (1st) recorded the equalizer early in the third period with a power-play strike that went over the shoulder of Killeen.
Taking the lead for good midway in the period, Trent Daavettila found Dwight Helminen (1st) in the high-slot for the eventual game-winner.
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