Jackals Snap Woes At WesBanco Arena With 4-1 Win

WHEELING, WV - In their first five visits to WesBanco Arena the Jackals earned just two combined points, but tonight, the pack shook off the demons and defeated the Nailers 4-1. Ryan Rashid and Taylor Stefishen led the way offensively with three points apiece and Sam Marotta stopped 33 shots for the victory.

The first period opened with an inauspicious beginning when Mike Ratchuk sniped his second of the season past Sam Marotta on Wheeling's first shot of the night. Zack Torquato and Derek Army assisted Ratchuk's opening salvo. The resilient Jackals battled back and knotted the game at one apiece at 6:07 of the frame. Ryan Rashid fed the puck through the neutral zone to Taylor Stefishen, who muscled down the left-wing side and slid a one-handed backhand pass to Zach Tolkinen for the backdoor tap-in.

The contest remained tied through the early stages of the second period until Ryan Rashid buried the eventual game-winner at 10:38 of the stanza. Taylor Stefishen fired a pass to Joe Houk, who found Rashid waiting all alone on the doorstep for his 14th goal of the season. Houk's assist marked his first point as a member of the Jackals.

In the third period, the Jackals continued to pressure Wheeling and created two power-play opportunities. On the second man advantage of the period, Steven Shamanski took a slap-shot that bounced off of the back wall and onto the waiting stick of Taylor Stefishen, who deposited the puck past Eric Hartzell for his 13th goal of the season at 15:04 of the frame. Nick Tuzzolino also assisted Stefishen's power-play tally. Mike Seidel added a shorthanded empty-net goal to seal the deal at 19:16 for his team-leading 20th goal of the season.

Sam Marotta made 33 saves on 34 shots faced for his second consecutive victory. Eric Hartzell allowed three goals on 35 shots faced and was saddled with the loss. The Jackals finished 1-for-4 on the power-play and the Nailers went 0-for-3 with the man advantage.

Next up for the Jackals is a date with the Toledo Walleye on Monday, March 16th at First Arena. Puck drop is at 7:05 p.m.