FAST FIRST PERIOD SINKS K-WINGS

Indianapolis, IN.- Indy rode a three-goal first period to the finish line on Saturday as the K-Wings fell 5-1 on Saturday night in Indy.

The Fuel jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening period getting goals from Olivier Labelle, Matt Rupert, and Josh Shalla. Labelle opened the scoring just 3:47 into the period tapping a pass from Matthew Thompson past Ivan Kulbakov to give the Fuel the 1-0 lead. Five minutes later the Fuel power play added to the lead. Matt Rupert collected the puck in front of the net sending it past Kulbakov for his 20th of the season, and the 2-0 lead. Josh Shalla would cap off the first period with a goal from behind the goal line as his pass bounced over the head of the K-Wing net minder and off his back into the net.

In the third period the K-Wings used an early power play to jump start the scoring. Luke Sandler swatted a rebound between the legs of Matt Tomkins in front of the net, getting the K-Wings on the board, cutting the lead to 3-1. Indy answered back with a pair of goals to push the lead eventually to four goals, getting tallies from Ryan Rupert and another from Josh Shalla in the final five minutes of the period. As the horn sounded the K-Wings found themselves on the wrong side of a 5-1 score.

Ivan Kulbakov stopped 40 of 45 shots in the loss, while Matt Tomkins stopped 20 of 21 in the victory.

Kalamazoo concludes the three-in-three weekend tomorrow afternoon for Pucks N’ Paws day at Wings Event Center. Fans are invited to bring their four legged friends to enjoy the game as Kalamazoo takes on the Cincinnati Cyclones. Dog tickets will be available for a $5 donation at the box office.

Kalamazoo Wings single game and half season tickets are available now! More information can be gathered at www.kwings.com.

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.