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WHEELING - It may still be very early in the East Coast Hockey League season, but one poor period of play Sunday night cost Wheeling a golden opportunity to cash in on a six-point weekend.

Cincinnati scored a pair of goals during the final 11:57 of play to erase a 2-1 Nailers lead and record a 3-2 victory to get a split of their two-game series at WesBanco Arena.

With the loss, Coach Greg Puhalski's team not only missed the chance of getting six quick points in a three-day stretch, they watched a two-game winning streak go by the boards. A Wheeling (7-10-1-1 - 16) victory Sunday also would have been enough to move them into third place in the North Division with Toledo's loss.

Meanwhile, the Cyclones (10-8-0-1 - 21) moved to within four points of division leading Kalamazoo, which also fell Sunday.

''We played a great first eight quarters this weekend and poor play in the ninth cost us a victory (Sunday),'' Puhalski said. ''This is really a poor loss for us, it was just total lack of effort in the third period and too many mistakes by our forwards.''

For the second consecutive night, the hosts fell behind just 6:35 into the contest when Scott Reynolds took a pretty pass and went top shelf on goalie Adam Berkhoel to make it 1-0. Brett Motherwell and Barret Ehgoetz were credited with assists on the play.

The Nailers got out of the period in a 1-1 deadlock following a power play goal at the 13:06 mark. Jordan Fox, who tallied twice in Saturday's victory, came from behind the net and was decked as he put the puck into the net for the score.

Midway through the second, Wheeling earned its first, and only, lead of the game as Pierce Norton took a side pass close in and bounced it into net at 10:02. Brian Yaworski and Slavomir Tomko assisted on the goal.

While the Nailers struggled and were outshot 14-5 in the third period, they managed to keep their one-goal lead for half of the stanza before Berkhoel was charged with allowing a pair of tough goals.

Doug Krantz earned the tying goal at 8:03 on a shot close in with Berkhoel screened to make it 2-2. Berkhoel then made a pair of fine saves before getting caught out of position on the third shot as Wheeling could not clear the puck.

Jason Jozsa's goal, on an assist from Pierce, came at 15:29 and turned into the eventual game-winner.

''Our forwards made way too many mistakes in the third period and Cincinnati came out hard and stepped up the intensity and got the win,'' Puhalski said. ''A lot of this falls on the forwards who should have responded in those situations, but they just weren't doing the right things.

''We have got to realize that we just have to get better and not stop skating. We played with no urgency in the third period.

''As far as killing penalites goes, we did another great job of that but our power play was not nearly as productive as it was on Saturday.

''Overall, I just can't say enough how disappointed I am with our forwards right now and how much we need to get rid of bad habits. They wanted it more and we sat back on our heels and just stook around.''

Wheeling did stop Cincinnati on all eight of its power play opportunities and killed 22 of 23 penalties during the three-day weekend.

The Nailers return home Saturday night to battle Johnstown at 7:05 p.m. after visiting the Chiefs for two games on Wednesday and Friday.

Game Notes

With the loss, Wheeling falls to 2-6-1-1 at home while winning five of nine on the road. ... Sunday's game was the second time in three days the Nailers have shut out their opponent on the power play. Wheeling blanked Elmira in 11 chances on Friday night in beating the Jackals. ... The loss was the fourth in five games against the Cyclones this season, but only the first by one goal. ... Cincinnati will return home for a six-game home-stand, beginning Wednesday against division-leading Kalamazoo. The Cyclones will not play Wheeling again until Jan. 8 when they return to the Friendly City. ... Jozsa was the No. 1 star of the game after knocking in the game-winner while Fox was No. 2 for Wheeling and Cinncinnati's Ehgoetz was No. 3.

Cincinnati 1 0 2 - 3

Wheeling 1 1 0 - 2

1st Period - 1. Cincinnati, Reynolds 8 (Motherwell, Ehgoetz), 6:35. 2. Wheeling, Fox 6 (Hiller, Kinley), 13:06. Penalties-Leitch, Cin (hooking-minor), 2:26; Fox, Whg (tripping-minor), 7:24; Coghlan, Cin (tripping-minor), 12:00; Norton, Whg. (tripping-minor), 13:29; Del Monte, Cin (tripping-minor), 17:49.

2nd Period - 3. Wheeling, Norton 3 (Yaworski, Tomko), 10:02. Penalties-Kinley, Whg (delay of game), 2:16; Robinson, Cin (hooking-minor), 4:51; Served by Caprara, Whg (bench minor-too many men), 13:26; Robinson, Cin (interference on the goalkeeper-minor), 14:26; Tomko, Whg (interference-minor), 14:52; Sproat, Cin (roughing-minor), 17:54; Served by Caparo (bench minor-too many men), 19:40.

3rd Period - 4. Cincinnati, Krantz 2 (Reynolds, Ehgoetz). 5. Cincinnati, Jozsa 2 (Pierce, Robinson). Penalties-Tomko, Whg (boarding-minor), 12:37; Schmidt, Whg (delay of game), 18:05; Ehgoetz (holding the stick-minor), 19:26; Schmidt, Whg (hooking-minor), 19:26).

Shots on Goal - Cincinnati 7-9-14-30; Wheeling 10-8-5-23.

Power-Play Opportunities - Cincinnati 0 of 8; Wheeling 1 of 6.

Goalies - Cincinnati, Mayer 21 saves; Wheeling, Berkhoel 27 saves.

A - 2,001

Referee - Joe Sullivan (4); Linesmen - Mike Hamilton (80), Ray King (39).