K-WINGS TAKE POINT IN HIGH-SCORING AFFAIR WITH KOMETS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

February 19, 2023

K-WINGS TAKE POINT IN HIGH-SCORING AFFAIR WITH KOMETS

Kalamazoo battles back from down two to force overtime, but Fort Wayne scores the game-winner in extra time.

BOX SCORE

FORT WAYNE, IN – The Kalamazoo Wings (20-25-4-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, matched the Fort Wayne Komets (25-16-4-2) in a high scoring affair on Sunday, before Fort Wayne scored in overtime for the 6-5 victory at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

Matheson Iacopelli (14) was the first to find the back of the net in this game, scoring off of a Komets defensive zone turnover and burying it in the back of the net at the 6:36 mark of the first.

Fort Wayne responded with a goal at the 9:54 mark on the power play, then scored again at the 17:51 mark to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

The K-Wings then pulled even on the first professional goal by Franco Sproviero (1) at the 2:08 mark of the second frame. Sproviero fired the shot in from above the left circle, with the puck deflecting off of a Komets defender in front and nestling into the right side of the net. Kurt Gosselin (1) earned his first point with Kalamazoo on the primary assist and Olivier LeBlanc (7) took home the secondary helper.

Just 2:39 later, Fort Wayne scored again to regain the lead, 3-2.

Then, at the 7:18 mark, Coale Norris (7) fired a one-time blast from the slot to retie the game. Luke Morgan (8) forced a turnover in the offensive end and provided the feed to Norris.

The game wouldn’t stay tied for long, however, as the Komets found the back of the net just 27 seconds later. Fort Wayne then pushed the lead to 5-3 with another tally at the 12:55 mark.

Kalamazoo refused to go away quietly, though. Norris (8) struck again at the 14:03 mark as he redirected a shot by Morgan (9) just inside the left post to climb back within one. The tally goes in the books as Norris’ third goal in two games, marking his first professional multi-goal game.

In the third period, the K-Wings kept applying pressure and Ryan Cook (3) made it 5-5 at the 11:47 mark. Cook held in a clearing attempt by the Komets at the blue line and sent a laser beam just inside the far left post.

Evan Cormier (5-15-3-0) stood on his head the rest of regulation, making stop after stop to keep the game tied. He finished with 42 saves on 48 shots faced, with Fort Wayne notching the game-winner at the 1:06 mark of overtime.

With the overtime defeat, Kalamazoo finishes the week 2-1-1-0. The K-Wings now head to Iowa for two games against the Heartlanders (12-25-10-1) next weekend. The first contest will be on Friday at 8:05 p.m. EST at Xtream Arena.

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Grab your Scooby Snacks, because there’s a 100%  chance you (and your dogs) will have a great time at this game. This year, Scooby-Doo is taking over the “Pucks n Paws Game” as the K-Wings host Tulsa at 7:00 p.m. on Mar. 4 at Wings Event Center. Don’t miss the pup race across the ice during the first intermission, and the Scooby-Doo jersey auction following the game. Secure your seats 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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