KALAMAZOO WINS 2-OF-3 IN IOWA, COMES HOME FOR 5-OF-6

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 3, 2025

KALAMAZOO WINS 2-OF-3 IN IOWA, COMES HOME FOR 5-OF-6 

K-Wings earn points in five of seven and look to take next step forward at home this week.

OVERALL RECORD:  16-23-1-1

LAST WEEK: 2-1-0-0

KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Wings (16-23-1-1), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, play two games this week, both against the Iowa Heartlanders at Wings Event Center.

The K-Wings will welcome Iowa for their Black Heritage Celebration, presented by Bronson, on Friday, Feb. 7 and Grateful Dead Night, presented by MAGNA on Saturday, Feb. 8, versus Iowa.

Then it’s Pink Ice, presented by Bronson, on Feb. 14 versus Bloomington and Springfield Night (Simpsons) on Feb. 15 versus Fort Wayne.

Last week, the K-Wings went 2-1-0-0 (7-6 (OT/SO), 6-1, 1-4).

First, Kalamazoo won in a shootout in Iowa Friday, 7-6. After Iowa scored two goals in the first, Quinn Preston (7), Ryan Cox (4), Josh Bloom (8), Drake Pilon (1) and Luke Morgan (1) scored in the second to put the K-Wings ahead 5-2. Iowa fought back to force OT with four of the final five goals in regulation around Lee Lapid’s (2) third-period tally. Bloom scored the only goal in the shootout and Jonathan Lemieux (8-13-1-0) stopped all three attempts by the Heartlanders.

Then, the K-Wings trounced Iowa Saturday, 6-1. Quinn Preston (8) scored the opening goal, and after the Heartlanders tied it in the second period it was all Kalamazoo from that point. Blake Christensen (5), Luc Salem (3), Ryan Cox (5), Jay Keranen (3), and Davis Codd (3) all scored for the K-Wings down the stretch in the dominant win, and Jonathan Lemieux (9-13-1-0) went 29-of-30 in net.

Finally, Kalamazoo fell, 4-1, at Iowa on Sunday. One goal in the first and two in the second period gave the Heartlanders a 3-0 lead. Jon Martin (1) notched his first goal as a K-Wing, but the comeback bid was stifled as Iowa scored a shorthanded goal in the closing minutes to seal the victory. Ty Young (6-6-0-1) set a new career-high with 40 saves in the loss.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN DETAIL

Kalamazoo plays two games at Wings Event Center to kick off a stretch of five of its next six games at home.

Kalamazoo hosts the ‘Black Excellence Celebration,’ presented by Bronson, on Friday at 7:00 p.m. at Wings Event Center against the Iowa Heartlanders. It will also be a $3 Friday, presented by Bud Light, with $3 Beers, Sodas and Hot Dogs at the game! Join us in celebrating African American achievements and heritage, while emphasizing the Black community’s representation in hockey!

Calling all Dead Heads because Grateful Dead night, presented by MAGNA, is Saturday at 7 p.m. versus the Fort Wayne Komets at Wings Event Center. Come to see and hear the hits, and the first 1,000 fans will receive a limited edition K-Wings Grateful Dead pint glass. Also, the tie-dye will be strong as the K-Wings will wear Grateful Dead specialty jerseys that will be auctioned off postgame, benefiting South Kalamazoo Fire Authority.

Pink Ice is next up versus Bloomington at 7 p.m. on Feb. 14 at Wings Event Center for the 24th annual game on the pink surface! All fans will receive a K-Wings ‘Fearless Fighter’ T-Shirt, and it will be a $3 Friday, presented by Bud Light, so you can enjoy $3 Beers, Sodas & Hot Dogs!

The Stick it to Cancer Ticket Package is also available for the game. Enjoy four (4) tickets to the game and four K-Wings ‘Fearless Fighter’ T-Shirts for $89, with 10% of proceeds being donated to the Bronson Health Foundation.

Woo-hoo! The K-Wings are excited to welcome you to Springfield Night on Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. versus the Fort Wayne Komets at Wings Event Center. The night is primed to be packed with laughs as we celebrate the generational hit TV show, ‘The Simpsons.’ So, bring your cowabunga and the first 1,000 fans will receive a K-Wings Donut Keychain (mmm donuts), and we promise we won’t make you eat our shorts.

The Wizards, Wands and Wings ticket package is back this year! Join us, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, as the K-Wings take on the Iowa Heartlanders, and get 4 tickets, 4 lightning bolt necklaces and 1 free game of bowling at Airway Fun Center for $89.

RESULTS

Friday, Jan. 31 – Kalamazoo at Iowa (W, 7-6 OT/SO) Xtream Arena, Coralville, IA | Box Score

>>   The Kalamazoo Wings (15-22-1-1) answered the bell in the second period, scoring five straight, including three shorthanded goals and weathered adversity to beat the Iowa Heartlanders (22-12-4-3) in the shoot out Friday at Xtream Arena, 7-6. Josh Bloom scored the only shootout goal, and Jonathan Lemieux (8-13-1-0) stopped all three attempts by the Heartlanders to take the win. The K-Wings scored three shorthanded goals for the first time in the franchise’s ECHL era (since 2009-10). Kalamazoo also scored five goals in the second period, their first five-goal period since Dec. 19, 2021 when the K-Wings notched five third-period goals to beat Indy, 8-6. Iowa scored first on the power play at the 16:04 mark of the first. The Heartlanders made it 2-0 with a goal at the 18:03 mark. Quinn Preston (7) scored on the power play at the 1:27 mark of the second period. Ryan Cox (4) then tied the game with a goal at the 10:30 mark. Then, the K-Wings got going shorthanded. Bloom (8) scored as he blasted in down the seam and pushed the puck five-hole at the 15:55 mark. Later that penalty kill, Drake Pilon (1) notched his first professional goal to make it 4-2 at the 16:35 mark. Luke Morgan (1) then added a third shorthanded goal at the 18:36 mark. The Heartlanders responded with a power-play goal at the 19:31 mark, and scored again 1:20 into the third to get back within one. Lee Lapid (2) then scored in his first game since Dec. 20 to push it to 6-4 at the 4:23 mark. Iowa would add two goals to knot the game up at the 11:46 and 16:26 marks after Ty Young was relieved in net due to an equipment issue.

Saturday, Feb. 1 – Kalamazoo at Iowa (W, 6-1) Xtream Arena, Coralville, IA | Box Score

>>   The Kalamazoo Wings (16-22-1-1) powered over the Iowa Heartlanders (22-14-4-3) with five unanswered goals Saturday at Xtream Arena, winning 6-1. Quinn Preston (8) opened the scoring with an unassisted breakaway goal at the 3:42 mark. The Heartlanders tied it up at 1-1 at the 13:32 mark of the second, but the K-Wings ignited from there. Blake Christensen (5) put Kalamazoo back in front with a goal just 44 seconds later. Then, Luc Salem (3) scored at the 15:26 mark taking it down the ice on the rush. Just one second after a power play expired for the K-Wings, Ryan Cox (5) scored on a deflection at the 18:54 mark to bring the lead to three. Jay Keranen (3) punched home a goal skating four-aside at the 47-second mark of the third to make it 5-1. Kalamazoo still wasn’t done, as Davis Codd (3) scored on a deflection at the 7:57 mark. Jonathan Lemieux (9-13-1-0) was outstanding in net, making 29 saves for the win. The K-Wings won the shot total, 34-30 and went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.

Sunday, Feb. 2 – Kalamazoo at Iowa () Xtream Arena, Coralville, IA| Box Score

>>   The Kalamazoo Wings (16-23-1-1) fell to the Iowa Heartlanders (23-14-4-3) Sunday at Xtream Arena, 4-1. Iowa scored first at the 4:11 mark of the opening frame. The Heartlanders notched two more goals in the second period, at the 11:45 and 18:04 marks, to make it 3-0. Jon Martin (1) scored his first goal as a K-Wing to cut the deficit to two at the 15:30 mark. Iowa added an empty-net goal with 2:37 remaining to seal the victory. Ty Young (6-6-0-1) was strong in net, stopping 40 of 43 shots faced in defeat to establish a new career-high for saves. Kalamazoo went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.

ON THE MOVE

Jan. 29 - Kalamazoo traded forward Ayden MacDonald to Maine for future considerations

Jan. 29 - Kalamazoo suspended forward Ted Nichol 

FAST FACTS

• Forward Quinn Preston has points in six of his last seven games (5g-7a)
• Rookie defenseman Joe Arntsen is on a three-game point streak (0g-5a) and scored multiple points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career Friday (0g-2a) and Saturday (0g-2a)
• Rookie forward Josh Bloom is 2-for-2 in shootout attempts after earning the lone successful attempt in Friday’s shootout at Iowa
• The K-Wings scored three shorthanded goals in one game for the first time in the franchise’s ECHL era Friday (Bloom, Pilon, Morgan)

TEAM TRENDS

• 13-4-0-0 when scoring at least three goals
• 10-3-1-0 when scoring first
• 15-7-1-1 when allowing three goals or less

STATISTICAL LEADERS

POINTS:              28  – Quinn Preston

GOALS:                12 – Ben Berard

ASSISTS:          20 – Quinn Preston

PLUS/MINUS:    +14 – Collin Saccoman

PIMS:                   39 – Zach Berzolla, Collin Saccoman

PP GOALS:      4 – Zach Okabe

PP ASSISTS:        4 – Ben Berard, Quinn Preston

SH GOALS:      2 – Josh Bloom

GW GOALS:     3 – Ben Berard, Ted Nichol

SHOTS:            87 – Zach Berzolla

WINS:                  9 – Jonathan Lemieux

GAA:                   2.63 – Ty Young

SAVE %:             .921 – Ty Young

* Currently with Abbotsford (AHL)

** Currently with Vancouver (NHL)

SPECIAL TEAMS

POWER PLAY:   Last Week – 1/17 (5.9%)

                            This Season – 14/116 (12.1%) | No. 29 (ECHL)   

PENALTY KILL:   Last Week – 12/14 (85.7%)

                             This Season – 98/128 (76.6%) | No. 26 (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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