KALAMAZOO STARTS HOT, HOSTS ‘LEGACY’ AND ‘ERAS NIGHT’ THIS WEEKEND

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 28, 2024

KALAMAZOO STARTS HOT, HOSTS ‘LEGACY’ AND ‘ERAS NIGHT’ THIS WEEKEND

K-Wings earn 3-0 start for the first time in six seasons with dominant play this past week. 

OVERALL RECORD:  3-0-0-0

LAST WEEK: 2-0-0-0

KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Wings (3-0-0-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, host two home games versus the Indy Fuel on Friday and Saturday at Wings Event Center this week. 

Last week, the K-Wings went 2-0 (9-2, 3-1)

In its first road tilt of the season Saturday, Kalamazoo emphatically beat the Fort Wayne Komets, 9-2. Forwards Max Humitz, Ben Berard, Zach Okabe and Jermaine Loewen each scored two goals, and defenseman Theo Calvas added his first goal of the season to cap off the scoring. Goaltender Jonathan Lemieux (2-0-0-0) made 37 stops to earn his second victory and the K-Wings went 4-for-6 on the power play in the team’s road-opener win.

Then, Kalamazoo beat the Cincinnati Cyclones at Wings Event Center on Orange Ice Sunday, 3-1. Ben Berard (3) notched the game-winning goal with 4:48 remaining in the contest. Josh Bloom (2) scored the K-Wings’ first goal just 1:32 after Cincinnati opened the scoring in the second, and Max Humitz (3) added an empty-net tally in the final minute. Ty Young (1-0-0-0) also earned his first professional win in the game, making 38 saves in a stellar performance.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN DETAIL

The K-Wings play two games at Wings Event Center this week.

Kalamazoo hosts the Indy Fuel for Legacy Night on Friday, November 1 at 7 p.m. at Wings Event Center. The K-Wings celebrate our history as we honor the 1,000th ECHL game for the franchise, and the first 1,000 fans will receive a Brent Jarrett bobblehead! Kalamazoo will wear special 1970s throwback jerseys, which will be auctioned off via DASH after the game. Plus, it’s a $3 Friday, presented by Bud Light, so you can enjoy $3 Beers, Sodas and Hot Dogs.

Then, Kalamazoo hosts Eras Night at Wings Event Center on Saturday, November 2 at 7 p.m. against the Indy Fuel. Come party like it’s 1989 as we will play hits from Taylor Swift throughout the evening! Plus, there will be a friendship bracelet-making station set up in the concourse near the ivy wall!

RESULTS

Saturday, Oct. 26 – Kalamazoo 9, Fort Wayne 2 (Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, IN) | Box Score

>>   The Kalamazoo Wings (2-0-0-0) dominated the Fort Wayne Komets (3-1-0-0) in every phase Saturday at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, winning 9-2. The K-Wings saw four players notch multiple goals and added four power-play goals in the contest. Fort Wayne scored first at the 5:13 mark of the first period, but the K-Wings wouldn’t trail for long. Just one minute later, Max Humitz (1) scored on a rebound to tie it up. Zach Okabe (1) gave Kalamazoo the lead with a goal at the 9:01 mark as he jammed the puck home from the left side of the crease. At the 12:51 mark of the first, Jermaine Loewen (1) forechecked underneath the goal, caused a turnover, turned around in the high slot and fired a wrister into the back of the net to make it 3-1. Berard (1) added Kalamazoo’s first power-play goal of the season with 20.9 seconds left in the opening frame to push the lead to 4-1. Humitz (2) cleaned up a rebound at the 5:44 mark of the second period on the powerplay. Okabe (2) netted his second goal of the game from the right side of the goalmouth at the 8:06 mark of the second. The Komets scored on the power play at the 5:00 mark of the third period to cut the deficit to 6-2. Kalamazoo struck back just 18 seconds later as Loewen (2) scored his second goal of the contest. After a Komets penalty gave the K-Wings another power play chance, Berard (2) put a wrist shot top-shelf off a behind-the-back pass from Lapid (2) at the 11:22 mark. The power play wasn’t done yet, as Theo Calvas (1) added another power play tally at the 16:49 mark. Jonathan Lemieux (2-0-0-0) was stout in net throughout the contest, making 37 saves on 39 shots faced. The K-Wings went 4-for-6 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill, while Fort Wayne took the shot total, 39-35.

Sunday, Oct. 27 – Kalamazoo 3, Cincinnati 1 (Wings Event Center, Kalamazoo, MI) | Box Score

>>   The Kalamazoo Wings (3-0-0-0) muscled up and rode a stellar first professional start by their netminder to dispense the Cincinnati Cyclones (0-2-2-0) Saturday in the annual Orange Ice Game, 3-1. Ben Berard (3) netted the game-winning goal for the K-Wings with 4:48 remaining in the third period. Cincinnati scored first goal of the game at the 14:06 mark of the second period, but the K-Wings quickly responded. Josh Bloom (2) drove through the slot as the trailer in a 3-on-2 rush and fired a wrister to the top-right corner for the goal just 1:32 later to tie it. After Berard’s goal to take the lead, Humitz (3) notched the empty net from the K-Wings’ defensive end to seal the victory. Ty Young (1-0-0-0) earned the win in his first professional start in net, making 38 saves including all 14 Cyclone shots in the final frame to help secure the win. Young’s performance throughout the game’s first 30 minutes allowed the K-Wings the opportunity to make their move at the end. Kalamazoo went scoreless on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. The Cyclones took the shot total, 39-24.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Friday, Nov. 1 – Indy at Kalamazoo, 7:00 p.m. EDT – Wings Event Center (Kalamazoo, MI)

Saturday, Nov. 2 – Indy at Kalamazoo, 7:00 p.m. EDT – Wings Event Center (Kalamazoo, MI)

ON THE MOVE

No transactions to report this week

FAST FACTS

• The K-Wings’ 3-0 start is the first 3-0 start in the last six seasons with the team achieving the feat now four times since joining ECHL (2017-18, 2010-11, 2009-10)
• Forwards Ben Berard (2), Jermaine Loewen (2), and Zach Okabe (2) all earned their first professional multi-goal game in Saturday’s 9-2 win at Fort Wayne
• Forward Max Humitz tied a career-high four points (2g-2a) Saturday
• Rookie goaltender Ty Young (1-0-0-0) made his professional debut, making 38 saves and earning the win Sunday over Cincinnati

TEAM TRENDS

• 2-0-0-0 when the opponent scores first this season 
• 3-0-0-0 when allowing two goals or fewer this season

STATISTICAL LEADERS

POINTS:              6  – Max Humitz

GOALS:                3 – Ben Berard, Max Humitz

ASSISTS:             3 – Max Humitz, Lee Lapid

PLUS/MINUS:    +9 – Collin Saccoman

PIMS:                    12 – Jermaine Loewen

PP GOALS:           2 – Ben Berard

PP ASSISTS:        2 – Max Humitz, Lee Lapid

SH GOALS:          0 – N/A

GW GOALS:         1 – Ben Berard, Josh Bloom, Jermaine Loewen

SHOTS:                12 – Ben Berard, Zach Berzolla

WINS:                    2 – Jonathan Lemieux

GAA:                   1.00 – Ty Young

SAVE %:             .974 – Ty Young

* Currently with Abbotsford (AHL)

** Currently with Vancouver (NHL)

SPECIAL TEAMS

POWER PLAY:   Last Week – 4/10 (40.0%)

                            This Season – 4/11 (36.4%) | No. 1 (ECHL)   

PENALTY KILL:   Last Week – 5/6 (83.3%)

                             This Season – 6/8 (75%) | No. 23 (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 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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