News release
16 November 2013
WHEELING, W.Va. - The Elmira Jackals fell for the third game in a row to the Wheeling Nailers on Saturday night at WesBanco Arena. The 5-4 loss dropped Elmira's record to 3-8-0 on the season.
Prior to tonight's contest, the Nailers had not given up more than two goals in any of their last five. But the Jackals got to rookie goalie Eric Hartzell twice in the stanza and held leads of 1-0 and 2-1. The Jackals' goals were courtesy of Matt Carter right as a Jackals power play expired, and an unassisted shorthanded breakaway by Jordan Pietrus. Elmira answered back with goals from Zach Torquato off the rush and a power play strike from Cody Sylvester with 31 seconds remaining. Maxime Clermont turned in 10 saves during the first while Hartzell knocked away 13.
In the second the teams continued to trade goals. Max MacKay turned a blocked shot by Chaz Johnson into an odd-man rush and scored five-hole on Clermont for his first of the season. With the period wrapping up, Rob Bellamy took off after a Wheeling turnover at the Elmira line and buried a backhander under Hartzell's arm. The tally was Bellamy's third of the year and came with 3:19 left. The second was filled with penalties as the Jackals went on the advantage twice and the Nailers had five trips to the power play.
While Elmira's power play was held scoreless on its first four tries, Artem Demkov got it off the skids early in the third. His eighth goal of the year was set up Keven Veilleux and Jakub Culek just 2:59 into the frame. The assist was Veilleux's first point as a Jackal, and Culek's assist gave him a point in two straight games. The Jackals couldn't hold off the Nailers' comeback bid, though. Denver Manderson scored the tying goal on a wrist shot from between the circles and then, with 2:23 to play Mike Ratchuk banged home a rebound for the game winner. Clermont was pulled for the extra attacker in the final minute, but couldn't produce the tying goal.
Clermont shouldered the loss while making 26 saves. Hartzell earned his second win in a row with 29 stops for the Nailers. Elmira ended the night 1-for-6 on the power play and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill.