FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2022
Kalamazoo looks to build on outstanding special teams play and prepare for three Central Division foes this week.
OVERALL RECORD: 2-3-1-0
LAST WEEK: 0-1-1-0
KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, play two games on the road and one at Wings Event Center this week. First, the K-Wings travel to the Wheeling Nailers on Friday, November 11, followed by heading straight to Ohio to face the Toledo Walleye on Saturday, November 12, and then they finish the weekend at home versus the Indy Fuel on Sunday, November 12.
Last week, the K-Wings went 0-1-1-0 (3-4 F/OT, 1-5).
On Friday, the K-Wings and Walleye battled into overtime in front of a soldout crowd for ‘Military Appreciation Night’ at Wings Event Center. The K-Wings put forth a resilient effort, erasing two one-goal deficits, was a perfect 4/4 on the penalty kill and connected on the power play.
On Saturday, the K-Wings weathered through the Indy Fuel’s three-goal outburst in the second period to climb back to within two, on a power play goal, with just over three minutes remaining in the third period. Unfortunately, Indy was able to score with an extra attacker despite heavy Kalamazoo pressure in the final minutes with the extra attacker. The K-Wings were a perfect 6/6 on the penalty kill versus Indy’s ECHL-ranked No. 2 power play unit.
With this past week’s special teams performance, Kalamazoo’s special teams rank ECHL Top-5 in each category over the last two weeks (Oct. 26 - Pres.), going 4/17 (24%) on the power play and 17/19 (89%) on the penalty kill in that span.
UPCOMING EVENTS IN DETAIL
The K-Wings play three games this week with one game at Wings Event Center.
Sunday, November 13 at 3:00 p.m. EST versus Indy is ‘Camp K-Wings’ at Wings Event Center. We know the great outdoors is a part of who we are in Michigan, and we also know it requires a lot of closet space. Camp K-Wings is your chance to show off your outdoor enthusiast threads. From your comfy summer campfire attire to your hunter orange, come dressed to impress. The first 1,000 fans will receive a K-Wings Mug, and make sure you bring your skates! Because immediately following the conclusion of the contest, fans can skate the ice with the K-Wings! Skate rentals are available for just $3.
RESULTS
Friday, Nov. 4 – Toledo 4, Kalamazoo 3 (OT) (Wings Event Center - Kalamazoo, MI) | Box Score
>> The Kalamazoo Wings (2-2-1-0) renewed the rivalry with the Toledo Walleye (3-1-0-0) in a hard-fought 4-3 overtime defeat in front of a sellout crowd for ‘Military Appreciation Night.’ In a game of responses, the K-Wings were able to answer each of Toledo’s goals in the first two frames to head to the third period tied at two. First, Chad Nychuk (1) scored his first professional goal at the 14:16 mark to wipe out an early Walleye lead. Carson Focht (1)earned the assist in his first game with the K-Wings after being assigned from Abbotsford by the Vancouver Canucks. Then in the second, Kalamazoo fell behind early but Mason McCarty (3) scored the equalizer on the power play at the 11:34 mark, deflecting in a Nychuk (3) shot. Olivier LeBlanc (2) earned the second assist on the goal. It then took just 12 seconds for Matheson Iacopelli (4) to find the back of the net to start the third, as he muscled the third period’s opening faceoff win straight to the scoresheet on a filthy backhand to give the K-Wings their first lead of the game. Justin Taylor (1) notched his first point of the season with the assist. Toledo then tied the game up 3:46 seconds later and was able to score the game-winning goal two minutes into the overtime frame. Evan Cormier (2-0-1-0) made 24 saves in the game, and Kalamazoo’s penalty kill unit posted a perfect 4-4 performance.
Saturday, Nov. 5 – Kalamazoo 1, Indy 5 (Indiana Farmers Coliseum - Indianapolis, IN) | Box Score
>> The Kalamazoo Wings (2-3-1-0) couldn’t keep the Indy Fuel (5-1-0-0) off the score sheet in the second period, allowing three goals, and lost 5-1 in Indianapolis on Saturday. Despite the loss, Kalamazoo put forth an amazing effort on the penalty kill throughout the game, keeping the League’s No. 2 power play unit off the board with a perfect 6-6 performance. The score held pat after Indy’s second period outburst until the 16:40 mark of the third period when Carson Focht (1) scored a power play goal to cut the Fuel’s lead to two. With the goal, Focht now has two points in as many games with the K-Wings. Justin Murray (3) and Logan Lambdin (2) picked up the assists. But Indy was able to capitalize with an empty net goal and added another just before the final horn sounded. Evan Cormier (2-1-1-0) made 30 saves in the loss, and the K-Wings have now killed penalties at an 89% rate since the Home Opener (17/19).
THE WEEK AHEAD
Friday, Nov. 11 – Kalamazoo at Wheeling, 7:10 p.m. EST – WesBanco Arena (Wheeling, WV)
Saturday, Nov. 12 – Kalamazoo at Toledo, 7:15 p.m. EST – Huntington Center (Toledo, OH)
Sunday, Nov. 13 – Indy vs Kalamazoo, 3:00 p.m. EST – Wings Event Center (Kalamazoo, MI)
ON THE MOVE
Oct. 31 - Defenseman Joe Masonius was released by Kalamazoo
Nov. 1 - Forward Erik Bradford was recalled from loan by Cleveland (AHL)
Nov. 2 -Forward Darby Llewellyn was signed to a Standard Player Contract by Kalamazoo
Nov. 3 -ForwardWeiland Parrish was signed to a Standard Player Contract by Kalamazoo
Nov. 4 - Forward Carson Focht was loaned to Kalamazoo from Abbotsford (AHL) by Vancouver (NHL)
Nov. 6 - ForwardWeiland Parrish was released from Standard Player Contract by Kalamazoo
FAST FACTS
· Forward Chad Nycuck scored his first professional goal on Friday versus Toledo
· Forward Carson Focht scored his first goal as a K-Wing on Saturday at Indy
· With forward Justin Taylor’s assist on Matheson Iacopelli’s third period goal in Friday’s game versus Toledo, Taylor moved into sole possession of No. 6 all-time in K-Wings history in career assists (221)
STATISTICAL LEADERS
POINTS: 6 – Mason McCarty
GOAL: 4 – Matheson Iacopelli
ASSISTS: 3 – Mason McCarty, Justin Murray, Chad Nychuck, Brandon Saigeon
PLUS/MINUS: +3 – Oliviet LeBlanc
PIMS: 19 – Justin Murray
PP GOALS: 3 – Matheson Iacopelli
SH GOALS: N/A
GW GOALS: 1 – Max Humitz, Coale Norris
SHOTS: 19 – Justin Taylor
WINS: 2 – Evan Cormier
GAA: 1.95 – Hunter Vorva
SAVE %: .927 – Hunter Vorva
* Currently with Cleveland (AHL)
** Currently with Columbus (NHL)
SPECIAL TEAMS
POWER PLAY: Last Week – 2/9 (22.2%)
This Season – 6/25 (24.0%) – No. 4 in the ECHL
PENALTY KILL: Last Week – 10/10 (100%)
This Season – 19/25 (76.0%) – No. 20 in the ECHL
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The Kalamazoo Wings are a professional hockey team located in southwest Michigan that has been a staple in the Kalamazoo, MI professional sports landscape since 1974. The K-Wings compete in the ECHL and are the AA affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets and the American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters. Kalamazoo plays their 36 regular season home games at Wings Event Center from October through April.
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