Trending
TRENTON, N.J.– The Trenton Ironhawks had their struggles on the power play to start the season, but on Friday night, it turned out to be one of the big keys to their victory. Trenton was successful on three of five trips to the man advantage, and that led to a 5-2 win over the Wheeling Nailers at CURE Insurance Arena. Ryan Pitoscia and Remy Parker were the two goal scorers for the Nailers, who saw their three-game point streak come to an end.
The Ironhawks came into the contest with just one power play goal in their first six games, but they cashed in twice on the man advantage during the first period to build a 2-0 lead. The first marker came at the 2:12 mark. Isaac Johnson slipped a pass through the low slot to Jesse Nurmi, who powered in a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle. Six minutes later, Trenton struck again. This time Nurmi set up a teammate, as he fed Matthew Sop on the left side of the slot. Sop dragged the puck around a defender, then shoveled a wrist shot up and under the right side of the crossbar.
Wheeling started the middle frame by successfully killing off a major penalty. Things continued to go in the right direction at the 13:16 mark of the period, when the visitors got onto the scoreboard. Craig Armstrong won a puck battle in the left corner of the offensive zone. He then shuffled a pass over to the right circle, where Pitoscia powered in a one-timer for his third goal in the last four games. Unfortunately, the Nailers had their momentum squashed 1:26 later, when the Ironhawks rebuilt their two-goal edge. Jack Robilotti kept the puck in at the middle of the blueline, then set up Nick Hanley, who roofed a wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle. Mikey Colella gave Trenton one more goal 1:37 before the intermission, when his one-timer from the left circle trickled through Nolan Lalonde’s legs. The pass to create the one-timer came from Mitchell Heard.
Both teams converted on the power play in the third period, and both goals came via deflections. Easton Armstrong of the Ironhawks tipped in Nick Carabin’s wrist shot from the point for the Ironhawks, before New Jersey native Parker redirected Robby Drazner’s attempt from the right circle for Wheeling. The final score was 5-2 in favor of Trenton.
Ryan Fanti earned the win for the Ironhawks, as he denied 37 of the 39 shots he faced. Nolan Lalonde made 20 saves on 25 shots in the defeat for the Nailers.
The Nailers will continue their four-game road trip with a pair of matches against the Worcester Railers on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. and Sunday at 3:05 p.m. Wheeling will wrap up the journey on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. with a North Division Final Series rematch against the Maine Mariners.