WHEELING – The Wheeling Nailers scored three goals in the third period to hand the Adirondack Thunder their seventh loss in a row, 4-2, on Saturday night from WesBanco Arena.
After no scoring in the first period, Wheeling opened the scoring in the second period on the power play. Matthew Quercia took the puck to the top of the crease after a non-icing call and slid the puck around the right pad of goaltender Henry Welsch for his 12th of the year. The goal came at 6:07 of the second with assists from Matty De St. Phalle and Logan Pietila for a 1-0 lead.
The Thunder finally found a way to beat goaltender Taylor Gauthier, and it came off the stick of Patrick Grasso. Brian Carrabes took the puck in on a two-on-one rush and sent the puck to the left side for Grasso, and he fired a one timer by the glove of Gauthier to even the score, 1-1. The goal was Grasso’s ninth of the year from Carrabes and Kevin O’Neil at 10:44 of the middle frame.
Grasso struck again, this time on the power play to give the Thunder its first lead of the weekend. Jeremy Hanzel sent the puck to Grasso, and he skated into the right circle and ripped a wrister by the blocker of Gauthier for a 2-1 advantage. The goal was Grasso’s second of the period and tenth of the year with helpers from Hanzel and Matt Salhany with just 2:43 to go. Adirondack took the one-goal lead into the third.
The Nailers came out in the third and scored two goals in 1:59 to take a 3-2 lead. Jack Works batted the puck out of the air for his ninth of the season at 3:21 and Matty De St. Phalle took a bouncing puck and beat Henry Welsch from the hash marks for his ninth of the year.
Wheeling scored a shorthanded goal on a rebound courtesy of Raivis Ansons in the 4-2 win.
After two weeks on the road, the Adirondack Thunder returns to Harding Mazzotti Arena this Wednesday, March 18 against Maine at 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 21 against Reading at 7 p.m.
Single game tickets for the 2025-26 season are on sale now! Great ticket packages, including season tickets, are still available! For more information, call the front office at 518-480-3355 or visit www.echlthunder.com/tickets. For all the latest Adirondack Thunder news, follow the team on all social media (ECHLThunder).
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