FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 15, 2020

FARLEY IMPRESSES IN DEBUT, BUT ‘BLADES TOP WINGS

Newcomer tallies two points in first game, but Kalamazoo falls 6-3 to Florida in first home game of 2020.

Box Score

KALAMAZOO, MI – Former Western Michigan Bronco Justin Kovacs scored twice and newcomer Austin Farley recorded a pair of points, but the Kalamazoo Wings (12-19-4-0) dropped their first home game of the new year 6-3 to the Florida Everblades (23-11-2-2) Wednesday at Wings Event Center.

The Everblades lit the lamp early, when Blake Winiecki scored from the slot 27 seconds into the game. Florida added to its lead when Hunter Garlent scored on a 2-on-1 rush and then made it 3-0 when Cam Maclise snapped a shot past Jake Kielly from the right circle. Kielly faced 16 shots in the frame and 13 more in the second period.

Kalamazoo found a spark with its red-hot power play scoring on back-to-back opportunities early in the middle stanza. Garret Ross set up Kovacs for a tap-in on the edge of the crease to put the K-Wings on the board and then those two combined to assist on Farley’s first ECHL regular season goal in his Kalamazoo debut to make it 3-2 during another man advantage.

Florida added some insurance shortly after, however, as Joe Pendenza snuck behind the Kalamazoo defense and lifted a backhander past Kielly to make it 4-2 heading into the third period.

Kovacs added a second goal with eight minutes remaining to close the K-Wings deficit back down to one, but again the Everblades had an answer. Justin Auger scored out of a net-mouth scramble to make it 5-3 and Hugo Roy buried an empty net marker to complete the scoring. Florida outshot Kalamazoo 50-23 for the game, and Kielly matched a career-high 44 saves in the loss.

The K-Wings next host the Wheeling Nailers Friday at 7:00 p.m. for Yooper Night at Wings Event Center. The first 1,000 fans will receive a free K-Wings Chook Hat. Kalamazoo then faces Florida again Saturday at Wings Event Center for a 7:00 p.m. rematch on Nickelodeon Night. The K-Wings will wear special Spongebob Squarepants jerseys which will be auctioned off following the game.

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Kalamazoo Wings 3-Packs are now available online! Reserve your tickets for the three biggest games in the best seats with the best eats. Visit kwings.com for more information about all the perks that come with a K-Wings 3-Pack!

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 Vancouver Canucks. Kalamazoo plays their 36 regular season home games at Wings Event Center from October through April.

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