Muskegon Lumberjacks @ Kalamazoo Wings ... 3-22

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Kalamazoo Wings beat Muskegon Lumberjacks 5-4 (SO)

IHL/Game Stats -
http://www.pointstreak.com/stats/pro/boxscore.html?gameid=735897

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K-Wings Website -
http://www.wingsstadium.com/news/2009/03-22_gamerecap_Muskegon.htm

SIGN OF THE CROSS

Justin Cross Scores in Regulation and Game-Winner in Shootout for Kalamazoo

Mike Modugno-Director of Public Relations and Broadcaster

March 22, 2009

Kalamazoo, MI– Sunday was Faith Night at Wings Stadium and who better generate key goals for the Kalamazoo Wings than Justin Cross, who scored in regulation and then the eventual game-winning goal in the K-Wings 5-4 shootout victory over the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

Muskegon got on the board first when Robin Bouchard found an open Billy Collins in the slot. Collins beat Joel Martin five-hole, for his 19th goal of the season.

For the third time in two nights Kalamazoo was able to answer back with a goal of their own less than thirty seconds after their opponents. Anthony Battaglia found Cross who had a gaping net to bury his 9th goal of the season.

Kalamazoo took a quick lead in the second period when Dominic Osman lit the lamp. The goal was his 23rd of the season and came just 52 seconds into the period.

The Lumberjacks answered back with a power-play goal from Bouchard (32nd) to tie the score at 2-2.

Bouchard would once again be a thorn in the K-Wings side when he found a streaking Collins (20th) who scored on the break-away to make it 3-2 Muskegon. On the power-play at 8:07 it would once again be Bouchard, this time with a power-play goal, his 33rd on the season.

The K-Wings pulled to within one when Osman (24th) planted himself in front of the net and tipped in a Lucas Drake shot. The goal came on a 5-on-3 power-play for the K-Wings and was Osman’s team leading 10th power-play goal.

Just 2:55 into the third period Tommy Lange (25th) tied the score at 4-4, when he ripped a slap shot to beat Muskegon goaltender Clayton Pool. The goal extends Lange’s point streak to eight games and goal streak to six games, both K-Wings’ season-highs.

The two teams would play it even for the rest of the period, needing an extra session and shootout to decide the match.

Kalamazoo’s Battaglia and Muskegon’s Luke Stauffacher traded shootout goals before Cross, the 4th shooter, slipped the puck past Pool. With one last chance to tie the game up, Matt Gens was denied by Martin earning the K-Wings their third straight victory.

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Kalamazoo Newspaper -
http://www.mlive.com/kwings/index.ssf/2009/03/k-wings_hamilton_jacked_up_vs_former_team.html

K-Wings' Hamilton Jacked Up vs. Former Team

Pam Shebest | Kalamazoo Gazette

March 22, 2009

KALAMAZOO - The week couldn't get much better for Shea Hamilton after the Kalamazoo Wings pulled out a 5-4 shootout win against the Muskegon Lumberjacks Sunday.

Hamilton was signed by the K-Wings on Thursday, just days after being waived by Muskegon.

"You want to stick it right back in their face," the left winger said. "Every game's important, especially this time of year, but that one feels good."

It was the third win in three nights for the K-Wings (38-28-1-0), giving them six precious points and an 18-point cushion over the Bloomington PrairieThunder for the last playoff spot in the International Hockey League.

Earning one point for the regulation tie, Muskegon is a point away from clinching the third playoff spot, joining the Port Huron Icehawks and Fort Wayne Komets in the postseason.

Hamilton said he was shocked when he found out he was being waived by the 'Jacks on Monday, especially after the trade deadline. He cleared waivers, another surprise, and then got the call from K-Wings coach Nick Bootland.

"It was, I guess, a matter of salary-cap issues (at Muskegon)," Hamilton said. "It's all part of the game. You can't take it personally.

Getting picked up by Kalamazoo was another shocker, he said, adding, "That's the place I wanted to go."

On Sunday, Hamilton made a mid-ice hit on Muskegon's Bryce Dale that brought loud cheers from the crowd. He said it wasn't anything personal.

"Anybody that cuts up the middle, I'm gonna finish," Hamilton said. "I don't care if you're my best friend."

Bootland said Hamilton is definitely a guy who provides energy.

"We needed that guy up front on the so-called third line, and he provides a lot of energy for us," Bootland said. "I played against him, and I felt we needed to have the best lineup possible."

In regulation, Dominic Osman scored twice for the K-Wings, including a 5-on-3 power-play goal, with Justin Cross and Tommy Lange also getting the puck past goalie Clayton Pool.

Lange's goal gives him a team season-high eight-game points streak (7 goals, 2 assists) and six-game goal-scoring streak.

Billy Collins and Robin Bouchard each scored twice for the 'Jacks, with both of Bouchard's with the man advantage.

In the shootout, only Luke Stauffacher scored on goalie Joel Martin. For the K-Wings, Anthony Battaglia and Cross scored.

"I think I wasted a lot of my chances last year," said Cross, who is 3-for-4 in shootouts this season. "I think I maybe only had one last year, so it's bound to happen.

"The puck kinda jumped at the end, but it might have helped it get over the (goalie's) pad."

For the second night, the K-Wings had to rally from deficits.

"We know that we're capable of doing it," Cross said. "We just have to keep with the system and keep doing what we're doing. Three-in-three is a tough day, so we know if we work hard, we're going to end up on top."

Bootland was happy to see the defense tighten up.

"We were fortunate, probably, Saturday to come out on top 7-6 (against Flint)," he said. "The offense has been there, we just had to tightened up more defensively.

"The guys are gutsy and they're tired after playing three games in three nights, but they did a good job."

Hamilton didn't record any points against his old team, but sees his role more as a sparkplug.

"From my perspective, (I bring) good energy, lots of hits, finishing my checks, trying to get momentum for the guys," he said. "I'm not out there to score 20, 30 goals a year, but I make the d-men think twice about going back there to pick up the puck, and wearing down their players for our offensive players to go out there and chip away and get points."

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Muskegon Newspaper -
http://www.mlive.com/lumberjacks/index.ssf/2009/03/muskegon_suffers_shootout_loss.html

Muskegon Suffers Shootout Loss to Kalamazoo

From local reports

Sunday March 22, 2009

It was a solid week for the Muskegon Lumberjacks, but it could have been even better had they been able to hang onto a lead Sunday.

Muskegon, winners of three straight games, raced to a 4-2 lead against the Kalamazoo Wings, but couldn't hang on in a 5-4 shootout loss at Wings Stadium.

Muskegon built a 4-2 lead on the strength of two goals from Billy Collins and two from Robin Bouchard by the 8:07 mark of the second period.

But the host Wings battled back with a goal late in the second period by Dominic Osman and one early in the third by Tommy Lange to tie the game.

In the shootout, the Jacks received a goal from Luke Stauffacher and the Wings countered with one from Anthony Battaglia. In the sudden death shootout, the Jacks missed their fourth shot while Justin Cross notched the game winner for the Wings.

Bouchard finished with two goals and two assists. Chad Woollard added two assists.

Goaltender Clayton Pool stopped 29-of-33 shots and suffered the shootout loss. Joel Martin stopped 28-of-32 shots for Kalamazoo.

Muskegon played without Todd Robinson, the league's leading scorer, for the third straight game.