KALAMAZOO, MI— The script was flipped at Wings Event Center in Sunday’s contest between the Kalamazoo Wings and Wheeling Nailers, as the Nailers earned a 5-2 victory in the second leg of a home-and-home between the rivals.
After last night’s first period assault of the Nailers at WesBanco Arena, it was Wheeling who dominated the opening frame and unleashed a relentless attack in the first twenty minutes. 3:11 into the game, Christian Hilbrich got the Nailers on the board with his seventh of the season, and propelled the visitors to an early advantage.
The Nailers’ high-octane offense rolled along in the period, and Michael Webster doubled the Wheeling lead in the first ten minutes of the game. Webster’s second of the season was a stick-side wrist shot that zipped over the leg of Joel Martin.
Less than three minutes later, Wheeling continued the offensive display after a quick strike effort off a faceoff. Gage Quinney’s shot missed the net high, but the drive caromed off the glass behind the goal and landed on the tape of Hilbrich for his second of the game.
As the teams entered the second period, Kalamazoo came to life and out-chanced Wheeling in the first few minutes. However, the Nailers earned a power play effort after a Justin Taylor penalty and made the Wings pay. Jordan Kwas used his skate to angle a centering feed from Nick Sorkin into the goal, bumping the Wheeling lead to four.
Later on in a period and on a power play of their own, the Wings found the scoresheet for the first time on the afternoon. Lane Scheidl gathered a puck along the right wing side and turned it towards the goal, lifting it over the glove-side shoulder of Wheeling goalie Sean Maguire. The goal pulled the Wings to within three, but their uphill climb continued.
Four minutes after Scheidl’s marker for the Wings, Hilbrich tallied again and capped off his hat trick. The Wheeling forward went to the goal with his stick on the ice and tipped a backdoor feed from Tyler Currier past Martin and into the net.
Heading into the third period and trailing 5-1, Kalamazoo came out with a renewed aggressiveness and found the back of the goal in the first minute. While on the penalty kill, Kyle Bushee joined the rush and deposited a nifty backhand into the top corner. Bushee’s third of the season brought the Wings to within three, but it was the end of the scoring on the night, and the Nailers earned a 5-2 road victory
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