FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 20, 2024
K-WINGS STAGE RAINBOW ICE RALLY, FALL TO CYCLONES IN FRONT OF 5,155
Kalamazoo’s three straight goals in late surge not enough to top Cincinnati’s hot start to 1st and 2nd period.
KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings (18-16-2-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, staged a furious Rainbow Ice comeback but could not overcome an early deficit and fell to the Cincinnati Cyclones (18-15-4-0) in front of 5,155 fans at Wings Event Center on Saturday, 4-3.
The ‘Rainbow Ice Rally’ pulled Kalamazoo within one with a Michael Joyaux (4) snipe from the top of the right circle at the 17:21 mark of the third period. David Keefer (16) picked up the primary assist while Erik Bradford (27) recorded his 250th career ECHL assist with the secondary helper on the extra attacker play.
Cincinnati opened the scoring at the 3:44 mark of the first period and doubled its lead at 7:39.
The Cyclones made it 3-0 at the 0:20 mark of the second period and added another goal at 3:06.
Bradford (13) got Kalamazoo on the board by firing the puck home from the left circle at the 17:05 mark on the power play. Joyaux (9) and Keefer (15) assisted Bradford off the extra-man opportunity’s opening faceoff.
Derek Daschke (7) added another power-play goal at the 6:10 mark of the third period with a slapshot from just below the painted ice between the circles. Brad Morrison (17) fed Daschke after collecting the rebound from a Collin Adams (10) chance.
Goaltender Jonathan Lemieux (13-11-1-0), the reigning Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week, made 27 saves in the loss.
Kalamazoo has now taken points in seven of its last nine games.
The K-Wings finished the game 2-for-3 on the power play and a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. Cincinnati took the final shot total, 31-28.
Kalamazoo is back in action Friday at 7:00 p.m. EST versus the Fort Wayne Komets (19-16-1-3) for First Responders Night and $3 Friday at Wings Event Center. Tickets to the game can be purchased HERE.
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Join the K-Wings for Pink Ice, presented by Bronson, on Feb. 10 and catch the deal of the month with the Stick it to Cancer Ticket package! Get (4) four tickets to the game, and (4) silicone bracelets with 10% of the package cost donated to Bronson Health Foundation for just $49. Click HERE to secure your package now!
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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 and the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks. Kalamazoo plays their 36 regular season home games at Wings Event Center from October through April.
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