THOMAS SCORES TWICE AS K-WINGS FALL 7-4 IN GAME ONE

K-Wings Fall 7-4 in Series Opener

Thomas Nets Pair of Goals in Return to Lineup, ‘Clones Lead Series 1-0

April 12, 2019

For Immediate Release

Cincinnati, OH.- Kyle Thomas scored twice in his return to the K-Wing lineup, but a four-goal second period from the Cyclones sank the K-Wings 7-4 in game one on Friday night.

A fast first period saw the teams combine for five goals as the Cyclones took a 3-2 lead into the first intermission. In his first game back with the K-Wings Kyle Thomas got the visitors on the board first just 2:16 into the game. Thomas threw a shot from the bottom of the right circle towards the net, sneaking it through the pads of Michael Houser to give Kalamazoo the 1-0 lead. Seven minutes later the Cyclones evened things up. Mitch Jones took a slap shot from the point while on the power play, sending the puck past Ivan Kulbakov to tie it up at 1-1.. Two minutes later the Cyclones took their first lead of the night. Myles Powell broke into the zone on the right side before placing the shot into the top corner to give Cincinnati the 2-1 lead. That lead wouldn’t last long though as Chad McDonald took advantage of a turnover behind the net and drew the game back even at 2-2 just 0:14 after the Cyclones scored. Late in the period the Cyclones would retake the lead, and this time for good. Pascal Aquin took advantage of a drop pass in the slot and placed a shot through traffic past Kulbakov, giving Cincinnati the 3-2 lead after the first period.

Cincinnati scored the first two goals of the second period as Jesse Schultz and Vas Glotov scored to extend the Cyclone lead to 5-2 just under six minutes into the middle frame. With time winding down in the period the K-Wing power play tried to spark the offense back to life as Chris Collins snapped a shot low to the blocker side of Houser, putting the K-Wings within two at 5-3. In the final four minutes of the period however the Cyclones would score twice more, pushing the lead to 7-3 by the end of the period.

In the third period the K-Wings notched the only tally as Kyle Thomas scored his second of the night, and the K-Wings second power play goal of the evening 3:20 into the period. Trailing 7-4 the K-Wings were unable to get any closer as the Cyclones kept the K-Wing offense at bay, wrapping up the scoring at 7-4.

Ivan Kulbakov sufferd the loss, stopping 14 of 19 shots in 25:51 of game play before being pulled in favor of Jake Hildebrand. Hildebrand stopped 17 of 19 in relief. Houser stopped 24 of 28 shots for the Cyclones. Both teams finished the night two-for-six on the power play.

Kalamazoo and Cincinnati continue the series with game two on Saturday night at US Bank Arena with puck drop set for 7:35pm.

Playoff tickets are on sale now! Tickets are available at the Wings Event Center Box Office or by visiting kwings.com. Kalamazoo Wings full season tickets are available now for the 2019-20 season! 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.

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