News release
3 February 2012
Wheeling, W.V. - Matt Campanale scored with two seconds left in regulation as part of a two-goal, third-period rally by the Elmira Jackals (26-15-1-2) on Saturday night at WesBanco Arena against the Wheeling Nailers (25-16-1-2). The Jackals would fall in a shootout, dropping the contest, 4-3, but earning a point in defeat.
Nick Petersen took a feed from Paul Crowder and backhanded a puck in past Timo Pielmeier, as Wheeling scored first at 2:35 to take a 1-0 lead, an advantage it would hold into the second period.
Artem Demkov threw a backdoor centering pass to Jimmy Martin with Elmira on its first power play of the contest at 14:40 of the second. Martin tapped the feed into the net to tie the game, 1-1, with his first goal as a Jackal.
The Nailers struck twice in the final minute of the second to take a commanding 3-1 lead into the final frame. Peter Lenes chipped in a rebound at 19:10 while Zack Torquato pushed in a puck on a two-on-one rush, as Wheeling grabbed a two-goal advantage after 40 minutes.
Elmira rallied, however, applying late pressure on Wheeling to eventually push the game into overtime. Corey Cowick knocked in a rebound from the top of the crease for the Jackals' second power-play goal at 13:48, making it 3-2. Campanale's timely goal, with just two seconds remaining on the clock, came when the rookie wristed a puck through a scramble in front, knotting the game up 3-3.
Following a scoreless overtime session, the teams skated through a seven-round shootout. Jordan Pietrus was the only Jackal to score, while Torquato and Andrew Hotham both converted for the Nailers in the victory.
Pielmeier (9-7-1-2) made 32 regulation and sudden-death stops while Patrick Killeen (15-10-2-1) stopped 31 shots through 65 minutes.
Prior to the game, Elmira signed forward Corey Bellamy, the younger brother of Jackals forward Rob Bellamy to a standard player contract. Bellamy, a rookie from Westfield, Mass., was leading the FHL's Cape Cod Bluefins with 139 penalty minutes this season. The loss was Elmira's second-straight in a shootout after winning its first eight this season. The shootout was the Jackals' first without Mike Radja, who is on loan to the AHL's Houston Aeros. Elmira is 1-2-1-2 in its last six one-goal games. The Jackals lead the Nailers by two points for the Atlantic Division's top spot