Wings fall short against Thunder in front of sold out crowd

KALAMAZOO, MI—The Kalamazoo Wings outshot and out-chanced the Adirondack Thunder, but were unable to solve the Thunder’s rookie netminder, Connor Ingram, during a 4-1 loss in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 5,123 on Friday night at Wings Event Center.

Using the first period to re-acquaint themselves, the Wings and Thunder played to a scoreless opening frame. Joel Martin turned aside 12 Adirondack efforts, and his counterpart made nine saves on nine shots faced from Kalamazoo.

The teams found their groove in the second period and the goals began to pour in, with special teams playing a big part in the outburst. While on a power play in the opening minutes of the stanza, the Thunder took a 1-0 lead with a pinball-type bounce that lobbed over the head of Martin and skidded over the goal line.

The Wings needed ten minutes to equalize, and it came in the form of a special teams marker. While working on an extended power play stemming from a double minor high sticking infraction, Kalamazoo established possession and converted. Kyle Bushee drove a one-timer to the goal and, after the save was made by Connor Ingram, the rebound ricocheted off a Thunder skate and slowly slid over the goal line for Bushee’s third of the year.

The game was tied for just: 36 seconds before the Thunder regathered the lead. J.C. Campagna waltzed into the Wings’ zone and wired a wrist shot that beat Martin over the stick side for his third goal of the season.

The Thunder continued their offensive surge in the third period and were twice rewarded for their efforts. Ty Loney notched a power play tally with a net-front redirection, and Terrence Wallin capped off the night’s scoring with a long-distance slap shot that cruised into the glove side corner of Martin’s goal.

Next: Kalamazoo vs. Adirondack Thunder, Saturday, November 11, 7 p.m., Wings Event Center.

Broadcast information: Saturday’s game will air on AM 1660 The Fan in Kalamazoo or online at www.1660thefan.com/listen-live.

Stats: https://www.echl.com/stats/game-center/15049

Single-game tickets are on sale! Tickets start as low as $10 and can be purchased at http://kwings.com/SingleGameTickets or at the Wings Event Center box office.

Wings Event Center, owned and operated by Greenleaf Hospitality Group, is home to the Kalamazoo Wings professional hockey team and a full entertainment venue offering concerts, sporting events, family shows and trade shows. Built in 1974, Wings Event Center values partnerships with the community to bring events and attractions that enrich the lives of residents in the Kalamazoo area.

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