FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 29, 2020
K-WINGS EXPLODE FOR EIGHT GOALS IN KANSAS CITY
Justin Taylor nets hat trick as Kalamazoo routs Mavericks Saturday.
INDEPENDENCE, MO – A hat trick from Justin Taylor highlighted an eight-goal explosion Saturday as the Kalamazoo Wings (22-26-7-1) routed the Kansas City Mavericks (24-30-3-1), 8-2 at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena.
Shortly after failing to convert on a 5-on-3 power play opportunity, the K-Wings converted at even strength when Josh Teves clanked a shot off the post and into the net from the top of the left circle to make it 1-0. Kalamazoo carried that lead into the locker room after 20 minutes, with a shots advantage of 17-6.
Kalamazoo broke the score wide open with four straight goals in the second period. Taylor snuck a shot under Tyler Parsons’ glove on a 2-on-1 from the right circle 29 seconds into the frame to make it 2-0. Brennan Sanford then fought off a Mavericks defender at the blue line to earn a breakaway goal, and Cory Dunn responded shortly thereafter with a wrist shot from the right wing that snuck in under the blocker.
Kansas City pulled Parsons with the score 4-0 and replaced him with Nick Schneider six and a half minutes into the middle frame. Taylor added his second of the period to make it 5-0 when he redirected a slap pass from Mitch Eliot into the top of the net. The Mavericks spoiled Jake Hildebrand’s second straight shutout bid when Matt Schmalz scored on a late breakaway to bring the score to 5-1 before the end of 40 minutes.
Taylor completed his hat trick 49 seconds into the third period to open Kalamazoo’s lead back to five. Justin Kovacs made it 7-1 with a tap-in at the end of a give-and-go with Austin Farley. Kansas City scored once more, when Ryan Galt threw a wrist shot through a screen, but Sanford added his second of the game to complete the K-Wings’ most lopsided win of the season.
The K-Wings next head to Cincinnati for a 7:35 p.m. tilt against the Cyclones Wednesday at Heritage Bank Center. Catch all the action on 1660 AM in Kalamazoo or online on 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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