Ohio State Standout Matt Miller Shines In Nailers’ Setback
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WHEELING -- Ohio State product and Nailers' rookie Matt Miller has made his presence felt on the defensive end this year for Wheeling.
This past weekend, however, it was offensively where Miller shined the brightest.
The Wheeling defenseman scored two goals and added an assist on Sunday in a 6-4 loss to visiting Wichita inside WesBanco Arena.
In the three-game series, Miller charted two goals on 11 shots, while adding three assists and a combined plus/minus of plus-6 and now has four goals and six assists during his rookie year.
So, what has made Miller more productive on the offensive end?
"I've been getting more confidence," Miller said. "The pro level is a completely different level from college when it comes to creating offense. The last couple of weeks I've been trying to put myself in better spots offensively and it goes to show it's working a little bit but it just comes with confidence, poise and willingness to take risks."
On Sunday, Miller got the Nailers out to an early 1-0 lead less than 4 minutes into the action. Then, following a Thunder equalizer, Miller struck again when he whistled a pass inside to team captain Austin Fyten, who buried his team-leading 12th goal of the season after missing the last six games.
"The first goal I just saw an odd-man rush and an opportunity, so I drove the net and just decided to hang around for a second," Miller said.
"The puck just ended up on my stick, so I got pretty lucky.
"On the assist, I was just trying to get pucks through, like coach (Mark French) has been preaching and we were getting bodies down there, another thing coach has been preaching, and Fyten made a really nice play down there."
After Miller's assist to Fyten, the Thunder rolled again as Jay Dickman lit the lamp to knot the game at 2-2 after one period of play but Miller wasn't done.
Despite being short-handed, the 6-foot-1 defenseman corralled the puck in the left circle and fired a wrist shot into the cage for his second go-ahead goal of the day.
"Millsie plays a lot of minutes for us and he has an offensive resume at the college level," French said of Miller. "One of his biggest weapons is his shot and that was indicative on the second goal.
"I feel like that's something he'll continue to develop at the pro level but he was really good (Sunday)."
Miller provided 19 goals and 45 assists in four years with the Buckeyes, where he groomed his game offensively and defensively.
"The college level right now is unbelievable," Miller said. "The competition and players that come out now days compared to a decade ago definitely prepares you in the right way. It's a different game but it helps mature you and get you ready for a game like this."
Joshua Winquist provided insurance with his third goal of the season for a 4-2 cushion heading into the third.
For the second time this weekend, Wheeling held the Thunder to one shot in the second period but Wichita came out in the third and outshot the Nailers 16-6.
A power play goal sparked a four-goal period for the Thunder and Dickman netted what proved to be the game-winner with 2:08 remaining in the game.
"We had a two-goal lead going into the third but then you take a 5-on-4 and then the next penalty made it a 5-on-3 and we were a few seconds away from killing it and they scored," French said. "That changed the scope of the game to some degree. We were the aggressor in puck battles in the second period and we seemed to lose that edge and it seemed to be a trend for the rest of the period."
Wheeling goalie Taran Kozun finished with 27 saves in his Nailers' debut, while Evan Weninger stopped 31 shots for the Thunder.