CORALVILLE, IA – The Iowa Heartlanders jumped out to 3-1 lead after one period, then held on for a 4-3 victory over the Wheeling Nailers. It was the fourth straight victory for the Heartlanders over the Nailers. Zach White scored two goals and added an assist and Darion Hanson came on in relief of Hunter Jones, earning the victory with 29 saves.

Iowa jumped out in front 3:13 into the contest when Tanner MacMaster scored his second goal in as many nights. James Sanchez won the draw back to Nolan Orzeck at the point. He fired a wrist shot that MacMaster tipped past Brad Barone for his second goal of the season.

The Heartlanders held onto the lead until 9:35 one Tyler Drevitch tied the game at one. There was a mad scramble in front of the net that left two Heartlanders defensemen sprawled in the crease, pushing Jones outside the left post. That allowed Drevitch to bury the puck inside the near empty net with his seventh goal of the year. Jones appeared to have been injured on the play and was replaced by Hanson.

At 13:46, White scored his first goal of the game to put the Heartlanders back on top. With the team on the power-play, Tommy Parrottino won the drawback to Orzeck who moved across the blueline into the high slot before firing a shot that Barone saved, but White quickly gained control the rebound, turning and lifting a wrist shot past the sprawling netminder for his ninth goal of the year.

Less than a minute later, Tommy Parran extended the lead to two. Once again, it was the draw inside the Wheeling zone that led to the goal. This time it was White winning it back to Kevin McKernan, who moved the puck to Parran. He began to skate down the right side boards, then curled in just above the face-off circle before firing a wrist shot that soared past Barone for his fifth goal of the year.

Iowa held a two-goal advantage heading to the first intermission despite being outshot 17-7 in the first frame. That continued into the second as the Nailers outshot the Heartlanders, 11-10, however, Hanson was spectacular since taking over, stopping the first 25 shots he faced.

Neither team could score in the second, but Wheeling cut the deficit to one in the third when Drevitch netted his second goal of the game at the 8:57 mark. Sean Josling made a beautiful pass to Drevitch, who was alone near the right side of the slot. He moved in on Hanson, looking like he was going to go top shelf in the far corner, then lifted a wrist shot over the netminder’s blocker to make it 3-2.

White scored his second goal of the game a little over a minute later, restoring the two-goal advantage. Brendan Robbins dug the puck out of the corner, then fed it out in front to White who tipped it past Barone for his 10th goal of the year.

With a little under five minutes left in the game, Cédric Desruisseaux scored his 15th goal of the season to make this a one goal game once again. However, despite being outshot 14-7 in the third, Iowa was able to hang on for the victory, their fourth straight over the Nailers.

Hanson was incredibly impressive in relief, stopping 29 of 31 shots. Orzeck had two assists and White finished with two goals and an assist.

The Iowa Heartlanders will welcome the Wheeling Nailers again on Sunday. The puck drops at 2:05.

Gamesheet

by Robert Pannier