Flags Soar Past Wings in 4-3 Shootout
December 23, 2006 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Port Huron Flags News Release
KALAMAZOO, MI - The Port Huron Flags made a comeback to send the game into a shootout, where Colt King netted the winning goal to defeat the Kalamazoo Wings, 4-3, in Wings Stadium.
Prior to the contest, Port Huron had not been triumphant in Kalamazoo since February of 2004 and had won just one game against the Wings this season. In the first period it looked as if the Flags would skate to an easy victory as they took a 2-0 lead. Garett Cameron capitalized on a hooking penalty to Matt Johnson. Assisted by Steve Hildenbrand and Mark Cadotte, Cameron drew first blood at 3:10. The teams traded penalties through the rest of the first period, but as soon as Greg Bullock stepped back on the ice after a holding call, he caught a pass from Cameron and put the Flags up by two at 16:10. Despite being outshot 17-12 in the first, it looked like Port Huron was going make it a very long night for Wings Goaltender Ryan Nie.
However, Kalamazoo would not be intimidated on home ice, as they tied the game at deuces in the second. Rob Snowball and Cameron were sent to the penalty box just 21 seconds apart, for tripping and high-sticking, respectively. Noah Ruden and the Flags defense stayed sharp, killing off the 5-on-3, but with just seconds left in Cameron's penalty, Nick Bootland found the net at 4:35, with assists credited to Glenn Detulleo and Casey Handrahan. Feeding off a frenzied home crowd, the Wings continued to pound away, and Scott Dobben's goal at 8:39, assisted by Handrahan and Lucas Drake, evened the match for Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo's 14 shots on goal paid off dividends, especially compared to Port Huron's four.
Dobben struck gold again, early in the third, with assists coming from Justin Cross and Joe Markusen. The majority of the third period did not work in the Flags favor, and it looked like Kalamazoo would take home the win again, until Bobby Kukulka stepped in. With less than two minutes on the clock, Kukulka extended his 5-game scoring streak to 6, working off assists from Hildenbrand and Bullock. A stunned home crowd of 2,595 watched as both teams went into consecutive shootouts on the weekend. The night before, Kalamazoo had dropped 5-4 to the Muskegon Fury, while Port Huron edged out the Bloomington PrairieThunder, 4-3.
Flags Coach Stan Drulia made the decision to put Dustin Traylen in front of the net for the shootout. Traylen stopped four of Bloomington's five shooters in the previous night's victory. Kukulka opened up the scoring first for the Flags, while Dobben fanned on the puck in front of the net. Shayne Tomlinson's slap shot gave the Flags a 2-0 lead, until Bootland beat Traylen on the next shot. T.J. Sakaluk and Kory Karlander were both unsuccessful in round three, as were Ryan Markham and Drake in the fourth. Bullock had a chance to put the game away, but Nie made a beautiful save to keep the Wings alive. Glenn Detulleo then took advantage of his opportunity to send the game to extra shots.
Mike Olynyk came out for the Flags, but was stopped short by Nie. Traylen returned the favor on Cross' attempt. At that point, King took matters into his own hands, faked out Nie and used his backhand to secure the score. Adam Elzinga was faced with a do-or-die situation, but Traylen was not about to let the Flags' winning streak end on his watch. He calmly stuffed Elzinga's shot and ended the Flags' 34 month drought in Wings Stadium.
Not surprisingly, King was named First Star of the Game. Second and Third honors went to Dobben and Handrahan, respectively. On Wednesday, Dec. 27, Kalamazoo and Port Huron face off again, this time at McMorran Arena, with the game starting at 7 p.m.
WILD WINTER WEDNESDAY - While everyone recovers from the holidays, the Port Huron Flags are extending a special break for next Wednesday's ticket prices. All seats are being sold for $8! Call McMorran Arena or the Flags office to cash in on this special deal and watch our boys lace up their skates against Kalamazoo!
BUY 2 GAME TICKETS, GET THE 3rd FREE! Now through the end of January, the Flags are offering a special deal to ensure that fans don't miss a minute of the action. With the purchase of 2 game tickets, the 3rd is free, when purchased in advance through the Flags office. Call (810) 982-FLAG to reserve yours today!
The Port Huron Flags are a community owned, nonprofit member club of the United Hockey League. For more information on the 2006-07 season, contact the front office at (810) 982-3524 or visit the website at www.porthuronflags.net
International Hockey League 2 Stories from December 23, 2006
- Hogs get back on track with win over Generals - Rockford IceHogs
- Flags Soar Past Wings in 4-3 Shootout - Port Huron Flags
- Jackals Pound Hounds 6-2 - Elmira Jackals
- Rockford inks puckstopper Moreland - Rockford IceHogs
- Countdown to Face-Off - Kalamazoo Wings
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