K-WINGS WIN IN OVERTIME AGAINST SOLAR BEARS THURSDAY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 1, 2022

K-WINGS WIN IN OVERTIME AGAINST SOLAR BEARS THURSDAY

Kalamazoo and Orlando go back-and-forth throughout regulation before D’Amico punches in the overtime winner.

BOX SCORE

ORLANDO, FL – The Kalamazoo Wings (8-7-1-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, traded blows all evening with the Orlando Solar Bears (5-8-3-1) before notching the game-winner in overtime for a 4-3 win on Thursday in Orlando.

Daniel D’Amico (1, 2) helped lead the K-Wings to victory, scoring his first two professional goals in his first game back after missing the entire month of November (11 GMs).

On D’Amico’s OT-winner, Chad Nychuk (7) took the initial shot, and Justin Taylor (5) banged Nychuk’s rebound off Orlando’s goaltender straight to the stick of D’Amico, who ended it just 36 seconds into extra time from the left side just outside the goal crease.

Kalamazoo got things started early in the first off the stick of Jeremy Masella (1), scoring his first goal of the season at the 2:46 mark. Masella rifled in a one-timer off an Orlando turnover in the defensive zone from the left faceoff dot.

The Solar Bears knotted it up at 1-1 less than four minutes later, but D’Amico scored his first professional goal and the K-Wings retook the lead at the 17:54 mark. Raymond Brice (1) earned his first assist since Feb. 25 on the goal as he sent the puck to D’Amico from behind the cage with mustard. D’Amico then backhanded the puck from his knee just inside the right post.

Orlando pulled even again with a power play goal midway through the second.

The two teams went back and forth for the rest of the middle frame until Nychuk (3) scored at the 17:16 mark with a 5-on-3 advantage. On the goal, Nychuk skated down from the blue line and fired a shot into the top-left corner from the right circle. Justin Murray (7) and Max Humitz (6) assisted, with Taylor setting the screen.

The Solar Bears notched another power play goal at the 2:33 mark of the third, but Hunter Vorva (2-1-0-0) slammed the door the rest of the way out, stopping 37 of Orlando’s 40 shots to win his second consecutive start.

The K-Wings are now 5-1-0-0 when scoring first, 4-0-0-0 when leading after the second period and 2-1-0 this season in overtime. 

Kalamazoo’s next game is back in Estero, Florida at 7:00 p.m. EST against the Florida Everblades (10-3-2-1) this Saturday at Hertz Arena.

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Kalamazoo’s next home game will be the annual ‘Teddy Bear Toss’ game on Friday, Dec. 9 versus Toledo. It will also be a $3 Friday, presented by Bud Light, with beers, sodas and hot dogs all available for just $3. Get your tickets now by clicking HERE.

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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 the 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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