FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 16, 2019

KALAMAZOO HEADS INTO HOLIDAY BREAK WITH TWO MORE GAMES THIS WEEKEND

K-Wings host Cincinnati Friday and travel to Wheeling Saturday in final games before Christmas.

OVERALL RECORD:  7-13-3

LAST WEEK:  0-3-1

RESULTS

Wednesday, Dec. 11 – Cincinnati 3, Kalamazoo 2, OT  (Heritage Bank Center – Cincinnati, OH) | Box Score

>> First period goals from Kalamazoo Wings forwards David Pope and Boston Leier had the Wings in front 2-0 after 20 minutes Wednesday in Cincinnati. While Kalamazoo outshot the Cyclones 12-4 in the second period, the Wings could not add to their lead. Cincinnati scored twice in the first 8:30 of the third period to tie the game and force overtime. Midway through the extra stanza, Brady Vail completed the Cyclones comeback when he scored the game-winning goal.

Friday, Dec. 13 – Cincinnati 5, Kalamazoo 2  (Heritage Bank Center – Cincinnati, OH) | Box Score

>> A power play goal from Justin Taylor evened the score for the Kalamazoo Wings in the first period Friday at Heritage Bank Center after Ben Johnson put the Cyclones in the lead in the first period. Although the Wings held a 10-7 shots advantage after one, Johnson scored again early in the second period en route to a four-point night, and the Cyclones made it 3-1 before long. Dylan Sadowy closed the game with his team-best 14th goal of the season, but one more Cincinnati marker in the middle frame made it 4-2 after 40 minutes. Just Vaive, who also had a pair of goals in a three-point night, added a fifth goal for the Cyclones in the third.

Saturday, Dec. 14 – Indy 5, Kalamazoo 2  (Indiana Farmers Coliseum – Indianapolis, IN) | Box Score

>> In the first meeting of the season between Kalamazoo and Indy, the Fuel scored 59 seconds into the game on their Teddy Bear Toss night and led 1-0 after one. The K-Wings dominated the second period with a shots advantage of 18-7, leading up to Zach Frye’s first goal of the season. Indy received seven power plays and scored on three of them, including one goal to go up 2-1 before the end of the second period and two more on a 5-on-3 opportunity in the third period. With the score 4-1 and the power plays seven to one in the Fuel’s favor, Kalamazoo went to the man-advantage and Zach Diamantoni scored to cut the Wings’ deficit to two. An empty net goal sealed Indy’s 5-2 win.

Sunday, Dec. 15 – Cincinnati 4, Kalamazoo 1  (Wings Event Center – Kalamazoo, MI) | Box Score

>> An early goal from Kyle Blaney 1:26 into Sunday’s return to Wings Event Center gave Kalamazoo a 1-0 lead after one period in the eighth meeting of the season already against Cincinnati. The Cyclones responded with three goals in the second period, two from Ben Johnson and one from John Wiitala, to jump in front 3-1 heading into the third. Kalamazoo was outshot 37-26 in the game and could not solve Sean Romeo, who stopped all 25 shots he faced after Blaney’s goal on the first shot attempt of the game. Jake Kielly turned away 33 of 36 shots he faced, but Cincinnati added an empty net goal to prevent any chance of a K-Wings comeback.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Friday, Dec. 20 – Kalamazoo vs. Cincinnati, 7:00 p.m. – Wings Event Center (Kalamazoo, MI)

Saturday, Dec. 21 – Kalamazoo AT Wheeling, 7:05 p.m. – WesBanco Arena (Wheeling, WV)

ON THE MOVE

12/11 – Forward David Pope assigned to Kalamazoo from Utica (AHL) by Vancouver (NHL)

12/11 – Forward Tanner Sorenson loaned to Kalamazoo by Utica (AHL)

12/12 – Forward David Pope reassigned to Utica (AHL) by Vancouver (NHL)

12/14 – Forward Chad McDonald signed to standard player contract

FAST FACTS

• Kyle Blaney leads Kalamazoo in December with 6 points (2g, 4a) in 7 games.
• Yannick Veilleux extended his season-high point streak to 7 games (2g, 6a) Friday in Cincinnati.
• Zach Diamantoni recorded his second multi-point game (1g,1a) Saturday at Indy.

TEAM TRENDS

• Kalamazoo has lost 114 man games due to injuries through the team’s first 24 games.
• The K-Wings are one of just four teams to pick up a point in Cincinnati this season (overtime loss Wednesday).
• The K-Wings have scored first in the opening period in four of their last six games.

STATISTICAL LEADERS

POINTS:               24 – Dylan Sadowy

GOALS:                 14 – Sadowy

ASSISTS:               13 – Yannick Veilleux

PLUS/MINUS:    +3 – Tyler Ganly

PIMS:                   69 – Luke Sandler

PP GOALS:          6 – Sadowy

SH GOALS:          1 – Brennan Sanford, Tanner Sorenson

GW GOALS:        2 – Sadowy

SHOTS:                79 – Sadowy

WINS:                   4 – Jake Hildebrand

GAA:                     3.80 – Hildebrand

SAVE %:               .874 – Hildebrand/Jake Kielly

SPECIAL TEAMS

POWER PLAY:    Overall – 16/97  (16.5%) – 14th in ECHL

                                Last Week – 2/10  (20.0%)

PENALTY KILL:   Overall – 84/109  (77.1%) - 25th in ECHL

                                Last Week – 11/14  (78.6%)

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FRIDAY, DEC. 20 – NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

In Kalamazoo’s final home game before Christmas, the Wings hope it’s a ‘nightmare’ for the visiting Cincinnati Cyclones on Friday, Dec. 20 in the “Nightmare Before Christmas” game at 7:00 p.m. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Slappy Christmas Ornament and Kalamazoo will wear special Ugly Christmas Sweater jerseys, which will be auctioned off following the game. It’s also another $2 Friday! At every Friday night K-Wings home game, take advantage of $2 beers, sodas and hot dogs.

#StrongAloneUnstoppableTogether