GARDINER NETS GORDIE HOWE HAT TRICK IN SHOOTOUT LOSS

Kalamazoo, MI.- The K-Wings picked up a point but fell 4-3 in the skills competition Friday night to Brampton.

Reid Gardiner extended his league long point streak to 15-games with a first period tally. He also notched a Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist, fight) becoming the first K-Wing to do that this season. Chris Collins recorded his sixth straight multi-point game. Tanner Sorenson also extended his point-streak to nine games.

A pair of power play goals highlighted the opening period. Reid Gardiner got the home side on the board with his 17th goal of the season just 7:20 into the first period. The forward continued his league high 15-game point streak wristing a shot low near side past Etienne Marcoux, to give the home side the 1-0. Just over midway through the period the Beast knotted the game up. Artur Tianulin collected a rebound and shoveled the puck to the back of the net, tying the game. With a power play late in the period the Beast took advantage, taking the lead. As time wound down, Matt Petgrave wristed a point-shot through traffic and past Jake Hildebrand, beating the K-Wing goaltender with 2.1 seconds left in the period.

Trailing by one the K-Wings scored each of the next two goals to take a lead late in the middle frame. Chris Collins roofed a shot from below the dot, sending it past Marcoux to tie the game at 2-2. Five minutes later Tanner Sorenson swatted a rebound out of mid-air into the back of the net, giving the K-Wings the 3-2 lead. In the final minute of the period the Beast struck again as Jordan Henry lifted a back-hand past Hildebrand, to tie the game with just 0:25 left in the period.

After a scoreless third period the teams headed to the extra frame tied at 3-3. In the overtime the K-Wins out shot the Beast 4-3 but were unable to solve Marcoux again as the teams headed to a shoot-out. After both teams scored in the opening round of the shootout the K-Wings were unable to score again as Marcoux stopped four of five skaters in the skills competition. Tied in the bottom of the fifth round Daniel Ciampini scored the game-winning goal for the Beast, as they skated out with the shootout victory, 4-3.

Hildebrand stopped 23 of 26 shots in the loss, while Marcoux stopped 32 of 35 shots.

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