FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 11, 2019

WINGS PICK UP A POINT IN OVERTIME LOSS

Kalamazoo scores twice in the opening period, but Cincinnati battles back to defeat the Wings 3-2 in overtime at Heritage Bank Center.

Box Score

CINCINNATI, OH – The Kalamazoo Wings (7-11-3-0) outplayed the top team in the Central Division for two periods, leading 2-0 entering the third. But the Cincinnati Cyclones (16-6-2-0) rallied to force overtime and defeated the Wings 3-2 in the extra frame Wednesday at Heritage Bank Center.

The K-Wings jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead when David Pope, fresh off a weeklong stint with the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets, circled the net and snuck a shot under the crossbar 2:56 into the game. After the two teams exchanged unsuccessful power plays, Boston Leier made it 2-0 when he fooled Cyclones goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen with a wraparound goal in the final three minutes of the period.

Kalamazoo dominated the second period with a 12-4 shots advantage, not including two posts hit in the period. The K-Wings, however, were turned away each time by Luukkonen. Jake Kielly stopped four shots for a two-period total of 12, as Kalamazoo carried their 2-0 lead into the third.

Cincinnati scored twice in the first 8:30 of the third period to tie the game. First Ben Johnson deflected in a centering pass from Jesse Schultz to put the Cyclones on the board 4:35 into the frame. Tobie Bisson then evened the score with a shot from the point that ricocheted in off of a Kalamazoo stick.

Brady Vail completed the Cyclones comeback with a goal midway through the overtime period, sending the K-Wings away with a single point. Kalamazoo outshot Cincinnati 27-19 in the game and led for 41:39 of game time.

The K-Wings stay in Cincinnati and face the Cyclones again Friday at 7:35 p.m. at Heritage Bank Center. Catch the action on ECHL TV and 1660 AM, The Fan, with pregame coverage starting at 7:15 p.m.

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Kalamazoo Wings 3-Packs are now available online! Reserve your tickets for the three biggest games in the best seats with the best eats. Visit kwings.com for more information about all the perks that come with a K-Wings 3-Pack!

The Kalamazoo Wings are a professional hockey team located in southwest Michigan that has been a staple in the Kalamazoo, MI professional sports landscape since 1974. The K-Wings compete in the ECHL and are the AA affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks. Kalamazoo plays their 36 regular season home games at Wings Event Center from October through April.

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