Jackals Battle Back Twice In Third But Fall In Ten-Round Shootout

WHEELING, WV - The pesky Jackals showed their resilient nature once again with two third period comebacks tonight against the Wheeling Nailers at WesBanco Arena, but former Jackal Chaz Johnson would spoil the comeback with the shootout-winning goal in the tenth round.
In true Jackals-Nailers fashion, there were more fights recorded in the first period than goals scored. The first of the fisticuffs occurred just 2:03 into the contest when Stefan Fournier blindsided Justin Daniels and Colin Jacobs stepped in for his teammate. The second altercation came at 8:56 after Kevin Hart crushed Zack Torquato with a clean check and Nicholas Kuqali came down the ice searching for retribution. In between the two fights, the first goal of the game was scored by Riley Brace. Paul Cianfrini started the breakout in the Nailers' end and moved it up the right wing wall to Derek Army who fed Brace and the Wheeling forward sped down the ice and out-waited Travis Fullerton for his 15th goal of the season.

Neither team would capitalize in the second period, sending the tight contest to an exciting final frame. Ryan Rashid started the excitement with his 13th goal of the season at 2:59 of the third period. Taylor Stefishen and Riley Wetmore added the helpers as Rashid extended his point streak to seven games. However, less than two minutes later, at 4:53, David Makowski would answer and regain the Wheeling lead. Makowski's fifth goal of the year came with some controversy as Fournier appeared to make contact with Fullerton, but the referee signaled that the contact was initiated by a Jackal defender. The pesky pack battled back once more to tie the game late in the third period with Kevin Hart's blast following a net-front flurry. Hart's third goal of the season came on the power-play at 17:00 of the final frame of regulation.

Sixty-five minutes would not be enough to settle the score, so the contest went to a shootout. Neither team scored on their first two attempts, but then the goals starting coming in bunches. The Jackals received three consecutive goals from Rashid, Kevin Sundher and Taylor Stefishen, but the Nailers answered each goal with one of their own. Following back-to-back blanks in rounds six and seven, Steven Shamanski and Thomas Nesbitt scored to put the Nailers on the brink, but Wheeling responded to each attempt and eventually former Jackal Chaz Johnson who ended it in the tenth round.

Fullerton turned aside 24 of 26 shots faced and four more in the shootout, but was handed the loss. Franky Palazzese stopped 45 of 47 shots faced and five more in the skills competition to earn the win. The Jackals went 1-for-5 on the power-play and Wheeling went 0-for-4 on the man advantage.