FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

March 10, 2024 

K-WINGS FILLET & FRY WALLEYE, 5-4

Kalamazoo beats Toledo in come-from-behind fashion to wrap up commanding season series win.

BOX SCORE

KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings (30-23-3-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, used three Quinn Preston points (1g-2a), an Ayden MacDonald ‘Gordie Howe hat trick,’ and multiple defensive stands late to defeat the Toledo Walleye (34-13-4-5) at Wings Event Center Sunday, 5-4.

Toledo opened the scoring at the 6:04 mark of the first period and added another goal at 9:32.

Derek Daschke (15) became the ECHL leader in goals scored by a defenseman with a blast from the left point on the power play at the 10:53 mark. Quinn Preston (11) and Jacob Nordqvist (7) assisted the extra-man strike.

Toledo responded and made it 3-1 at the 12:41 mark.

Ayden MacDonald (7) pulled Kalamazoo within one with a power-play tip-in at the 19:25 mark. Erik Bradford (39) and Michael Joyaux (15) picked up assists with Bradford’s tying his career single-season points high (61).

Chaz Reddekopp (2) tied the game at 3-3 at the 50-second mark of the second period with a wrister from the left circle. MacDonald (6) quickly moved the puck to Reddekopp from the right circle after a Luke Morgan (11) faceoff win.

Preston (4) put Kalamazoo up 4-3 just 1:03 later with a bar-down laser from the right circle on the rush. Collin Adams (17) fed Preston from the left side after Collin Saccoman (6) carried the puck up ice to push transition.

Adams (15) was credited with a goal from just outside the crease on the right side at the 5:20 mark. Preston (12) and Jordan Seyfert (11) assisted the hustle play.

Walleye starting netminder, John Lethemon, was lifted after the Adams goal.

Toledo made it 5-4 at the 1:29 mark of the third period.

Goaltender Jonathan Lemieux (14-15-2-0) got the start and made eight saves on 11 shots against. Hunter Vorva (15-8-0-0) relieved Lemieux in net with 7:19 left in the first period. The Kalamazoo native stopped 26 of 27 shots faced to secure the victory.

Kalamazoo is now 9-3-1-0 against Toledo this season.

With a goal, assist and fight, MacDonald recorded Kalamazoo’s first Gordie Howe hat trick of the season. 

Kalamazoo also surpassed its 2022-23 total of 29 wins with 16 regular season games remaining.

The K-Wings finished the game 2-for-3 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. Toledo took the final shot total, 38-28.

Kalamazoo is back in action Friday at 7:00 p.m. EDT versus the Allen Americans (25-28-2-1)  for ‘Game Show Night’ and $3 Friday at Wings Event Center. Tickets to the game can be purchased HERE.

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Kalamazoo’s painted ice lineup concludes with Green Ice on Saturday, March 16! For years, others have tried to emulate, but there’s truly nothing quite like Kalamazoo’s 40th annual ‘Green Ice’ game, presented by Southern Michigan Bank & Trust. Every painted ice game in pro hockey traces its roots to this game. It’s truly the biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Kalamazoo. Come enjoy Green Beer, great hockey and the postgame jersey auction.

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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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