FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 17, 2020

BUZZER-BEATING GAME-TYING GOAL OVERTURNED, K-WINGS LOSE

Justin Kovacs’ equalizer with 6.3 seconds left gets waived off, as Kalamazoo drops Monday afternoon game in Brampton.

Box Score

BRAMPTON, ON – A buzzer-beating goal from Justin Kovacs late in regulation was taken off the board after video review as the Kalamazoo Wings (19-24-6-1) fell 4-3 to the Brampton Beast (29-20-3-0) Monday afternoon at the CAA Centre.

The Beast jumped out to an early lead 4:12 into the game, when Anthony Nigro buried a rebound in front after Jake Kielly stopped the initial shot from Nathan Todd. Kalamazoo answered 50 seconds later when Zach Frye ripped a shot over Andrew D’Agostini’s blocker from the left circle.

Rookie defenseman Ian Edmondson then took the puck away from a Beast defender in the neutral zone and raced in a breakaway. The Toronto native snapped a shot over the blocker to put the K-Wings in front 2-1 after one.

Brampton’s power play took over in the second period to flip the score with two goals on three opportunities. T.J. Melancon tied the game at 2-2 early in the frame when his wrist shot deflected off of a Kalamazoo stick. The Beast then went back in front when Nathan Todd picked up his own rebound and lifted a second chance past Kielly for another power play goal.

Kalamazoo found new life in the third period when Cory Dunn fired home a rebound early in the frame for his first pro goal, tying the game at 3-3. Todd put the Beast back in front with 6:57 left on a shot that snuck under Kielly’s blocker, his second goal of the game.

In the waning moments, with Kielly pulled for an extra attacker, Kovacs threw a shot through traffic from the half wall that fooled D’Agostini and tied the game with 6.3 seconds to play. After a lengthy video review, the goal was waived off and Brampton held on to win 4-3.

The K-Wings head to Fort Wayne next for a 7:35 p.m. tilt Wednesday against the Komets at Memorial Coliseum. Catch the action on 1660 AM or ECHL TV, with pregame coverage starting at 7:15 p.m.

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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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