K-WINGS USE GREEN ICE SELLOUT CROWD & PERFECT WEEK TO LAUNCH BACK INTO CENTRAL MIX

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 21, 2022

K-WINGS USE GREEN ICE SELLOUT CROWD & PERFECT WEEK TO LAUNCH BACK INTO CENTRAL MIX

Kalamazoo dazzles 11,580 fans with tradition, grit and wins last week and back to making noise in the Central.

OVERALL RECORD:  31-27-0-0

LAST WEEK:  4-0-0-0

KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, play the Cincinnati Cyclones at home on Wednesday, March 23 before three straight games on the road this week. First, the K-Wings face the Wheeling Nailers on Friday, March 25. Then, the team heads to Fort Wayne on Saturday, March 26. Finally, Kalamazoo finishes the week at Indy on Sunday, March 27.  

Last Friday, the K-Wings skated to victory in front of a sellout crowd for the 39th annual ‘Green Ice’ game. Kalamazoo fans continued to rally behind its hometown team in record numbers, as 11,580 helped propel the team to three straight wins at home over the weekend.

Over the past week, the K-Wings were a perfect 4-0 (3-2, 5-4, 5-4 OT, 7-6 OT). Currently, Kalamazoo has won seven of the last eight games and has tied a season high with four straight wins. 

The highlights from last week are as follows: 

Kalamazoo moved into sole possession of 5th place in the Central Division this past weekend. Matheson Iacopelli scored 5 goals in less than two periods between Wednesday’s Cincinnati matchup and Friday’s Iowa game last week. Iacopelli finished the week with 6G, 4A, 10 PTS, +8, 1 PPG, 1 GWG and a hat trick on Green Ice. Logan Lambdin (25) moved into sole possession of the No. 2 spot in ECHL Rookie Goals. And K-Wings goaltender Trevor Gorsuch shined with a 4-0 record, making 121 saves with a 2.75 GAA and sported a .915 save percentage over that span. Gorsuch has now earned a victory in each of his last seven appearances. 

Now, with a win this week over Cincinnati on Wednesday, the K-Wings will move into 4th place in the Central Division. 

UPCOMING EVENTS IN DETAIL

One of the four K-Wings games this week is at Wings Event Center. 

Wednesday, March 23 versus Cincinnati is the ‘Education Day’ game. Make sure to set the alarm clock for an early wake up, because there’s nothing like a loud morning of hockey, education and fun with thousands of school aged children. 

RESULTS

Wednesday, Mar. 16 –  Kalamazoo 3, Cincinnati 2 (Heritage Bank Center - Cincinnati, OH)|Box Score

>>   Kyle Blaney (10) kicked off the game’s scoring at the 12:29 mark of the second. Cincinnati then tied it at one just a minute and twenty seven seconds later on a controversial goal, and the game stayed tied until the 2:54 mark of the third. Matheson Iacopelli (10) tied it up at two just two minutes and twenty nine seconds later. Iacopelli (11) was in on every goal for the K-Wings in the morning game, none more important this season than his game winning one-timer on the power play at the 9:13 mark of the third. Trevor Gorsuch (16-18-0-0) continued his strong play in this one, making 26 saves in the contest. 

Friday, Mar. 18 – Iowa 4, Kalamazoo 5 (Wings Event Center - Kalamazoo, MI)|Box Score

>>   The Wings fought back twice, took the lead for good in the second period and rode the Matheson Iacopelli hat trick and beat the Iowa Heartlanders by a score of 5-4 in front of a sellout crowd on Green Ice. Iowa scored the game’s opening goal at the 6:10 mark of the first, and would take the lead again after Iacopelli (12) tied it at the 10:22 mark. Iacopelli (13, 14) scored another goal in the first at the 14:51 mark to tie it at two and earned the hat trick before the 56 second mark of the second period. The Heartlanders tied it up at the 5:04 mark of the second - but in his first game back from Cleveland - Jake Slaker (11) scored on a break away. Logan Lambdin (23) scored the game-winner at the 6:57 mark of the third period to extend Kalamazoo’s lead to 5-3. Trevor Gorsuch (17-18-0-0) made 35 saves in the contest.

Saturday, Mar. 19 – Iowa 4, Kalamazoo 5 F/OT (Wings Event Center - Kalamazoo, MI)|Box Score

>>   Iowa jumped out to the early 1-0 lead at the 3:28 mark of the first period. Then Kalamzoo came back swinging, scoring three straight goals to end the period and took a 3-1 lead into the first intermission. Matheson Iacopelli (15) opened the scoring onslaught. Then, Justin Taylor (20) scored on a tough angle shot from below the goal line in the left corner at the 11:02 mark. Finally, Tanner Sorenson (16) got muckie in the crease on the power play at the 16:46 mark to cap the K-Wings first period outburst. Iowa then scored two goals in the second period to help set the stage for the Kalamazoo OT winner. Kyle Blaney (11) was the hero in this one, as he wristed home the game winner at the 6:29 mark of OT from the bottom of the left circle. Trevor Gorsuch (18-18-0-0) was phenomenal again, making 31 saves in what goes in the books as his sixth straight win. 

Sunday, Mar. 20 – Wheeling 6, Kalamazoo 7 F/OT (Wings Event Center - Kalamazoo, MI)|Box Score

>>   The game was a complete rollercoaster from the beginning, as Logan Lambdin (24) opened up the scoring at the 1:17 mark for Kalamazoo. Wheeling then tied the game minutes later, but that’s when Kalamazoo exploded in the first. The K-Wings scored three goals in 1:01 (fastest three goals scored this season) to jump out to a commanding 4-1 lead. First, Raymond Brice (11) scored at the 8:32 mark. Then, just four seconds later Max Humitz (12) pumped in another goal off the ensuing faceoff  (fastest two goals scored this season). Finally, Jake Slaker (12) chased Wheeling’s starting goaltender, Alex D’Orio, from the game 27 seconds later. Patrick Watling then went on a tear at the end of the first, and the start of the second, to bring Wheeling all the way back. Trevor Gorsuch (19-18-0-0) was then summoned to replace starting goaltender Jake Kielly (0-1-0-0). Anthony Collins (5) then scored his first goal as a K-Wing just 33 seconds later, and the seesaw game began. Erik Bradford (15) wristed home a power play goal from the top of the left circle to tie it at six all, setting up Kalamazoo's second straight OT victory in the process. Then Justin Taylor (21) ended it with a power play goal at the 4:57 mark of overtime, securing the K-Wings fourth straight win in the captain's 600th game as a K-Wing.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Wednesday, Mar. 23 – Cincinnati AT Kalamazoo, 10:30 a.m. EST – Wings Event Center (Kalamazoo, MI)

Friday, Mar. 25 – Kalamazoo AT Wheeling, 7:10 p.m. EST – Wesbanco Arena (Wheeling, WV)

Saturday, Mar. 26 – Kalamazoo AT Fort Wayne, 7:30 p.m. EST – Allen County War Memorial Coliseum (Fort Wayne, IN)

Sunday, Mar. 27 – Kalamazoo AT Indy, 5:00 p.m. EST – Indiana Farmers Coliseum (Indianapolis, IN)

ON THE MOVE

3/15 -  Defenseman Ryan Cook was acquired in a trade with Adirondack (ECHL) for future considerations

3/17 - Defenseman Olivier LeBlanc and forward Jake Slaker were loaned to Kalamazoo from Cleveland (AHL)

3/17 -  Forward Tyler Kobryn was released by Kalamazoo 

FAST FACTS

·           Forward Justin Taylor scored the game winning goal in his 600th game as a K-Wings versus the Wheeling Nailers on Sunday

·           Defenseman Eric Kattelus played in his 500th professional game versus the Iowa Heartlanders on Saturday

·          The K-Wings are now 5-0 in overtime and shootouts this season

TEAM TRENDS

·      18-8 when scoring first this season

·      17-1 when leading after two periods

·       11-4 in games tied after two periods

STATISTICAL LEADERS

POINTS:              47– Justin Taylor

GOAL:               25– Logan Lambdin

ASSISTS:          30– Tanner Sorenson

PLUS/MINUS:     +13 – Andrew DeBrincat

PIMS:                   93– Anthony Collins

PP GOALS:      10 – Justin Taylor

SH GOALS:      4 – Erik Bradford

GW GOALS:   4 – Justin Taylor

SHOTS:           157 – Tanner Sorenson

WINS:                  15 – Trevor Gorsuch

GAA:                   3.05 – Jet Greaves*

SAVE %:             .907 – Jet Greaves*

* Currently with Cleveland (AHL)

** Currently with Columbus (NHL)

*** Currently with Iowa (AHL)

SPECIAL TEAMS

POWER PLAY:   Last Week – 4/14 (28.6%)

                           This Season – 38/195 (19.5%) – No. 15 in the ECHL                         

PENALTY KILL:   Last Week – 10/13 (76.9%)

                           This Season – 128/176 (72.7%) – No. 27 in the ECHL

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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 Columbus Blue Jackets and American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters. Kalamazoo plays their 36 regular season home games at Wings Event Center from October through April.

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