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Jr. K-Wings Weekly

October 2, 2012 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings News Release


Game Recap- Saturday, September 29th @ Port Huron Fighting Falcons.

Port Huron, MI- The Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings got a goal from Robbie Payne, and 32 saves from Alex Okicki, but they weren't enough to stop a ferocious third period attack of the Port Huron Fighting Falcons, as the Jr. K-Wings dropped the contest by a score of 4-1 on Saturday Night in Port Huron.

After over eleven minutes of end-to-end, frantically paced hockey, it was the Fighting Falcons that broke the scoreless stalemate in the first period. A mad scramble for a loose puck in front of Jr. K-Wings goalie, Okicki, ended with Bryan Yim putting in his first of the season.

The second period seemed to be similar to the first, with back and fort action during the entire twenty minutes. However, no team was able to capitalize on any chances, with goalies stealing the show. Okicki made 14 stops during the second, while Port Huron goalie, Max Milosek made ten of his own.

Early in the third period, and working with a man-advantage, Kalamazoo was able to draw the game even at a goal apiece. Payne controlled an open puck, wrapped it around the Port Huron goal, and slid it into the backside for his sixth of the season.

Shortly after Payne notched the game at ones, the Fighting Falcons were able to produce another goal of their own with a 4-on-4 opportunity. Yim scored his second of the night, and second of the season when he scored on an odd man rush.

Just minutes later, Port Huron was able to add to their one-goal lead even while being shorthanded. Rick DeRosa (2nd) drove on the goal and was able to slip the puck past the pad of Okicki to extend their lead to 3-1.

Just over three minutes later, the Fighting Falcons were able to increase their lead by another goal. Getting his first of the season was Brett DeAndrea, who was also making his season debut.

Official Game Stats can be found at: http://pointstreak.com/prostats/gamesheet_full.html?gameid=1993412

Sunday, September 30th Vs. Port Huron Fighting Falcons. 5-1 Loss.

Kalamazoo, MI- The Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings were yet again victims of a lethal third period by the Port Huron Fighting Falcons, as the Falcons netted three in the third on their way to a 5-1 victory over Kalamazoo on Sunday at the Borgess Health Rink inside Wings West.

Just like the contest the night before, it was the goalies who stole the show in the first twenty minutes. Kalamazoo goalie, Alex Okicki made seven saves, while Port Huron goalie, Max Milosek made 11. Both goaltenders were making their second consecutive start on less than 24 hours of rest.

For the second straight contest against Kalamazoo, Port Huron followed their team theme of being late starters. They got the scoring underway in the second with a tally by Matthew Uvodich, who was able to light the lamp for the third time of the season.

Adding to the lead was Zach Badalamenti who scored his first of the season by pouncing on a loose puck in front of Okicki and shooting it into the back of the net.

Like the night before, the bulk of the scoring was again pocketed until the third period for the two teams. 8:10 into the third, Ian Miller scored his team leading third of the season and made it 3-0.

Just sixty-three seconds later, Nico Sierra added a power play marker for his second of the season, giving his team a four goal lead.

At the fifteen-minute mark, Kalamazoo finally broke through the sensational Milosek, with Nick Kovalchik deflecting a shot by Cameron Heath for his fourth goal of the campaign.

Sealing the deal for the Falcons, was Mitch Maloney, who scored his second of the season with under two minutes to play to put the game out of reach at 5-1.

Official Game Stats can be found at: http://pointstreak.com/prostats/gamesheet_full.html?gameid=1993423

Looking Ahead

After a winless weekend against the Port Huron Fighting Falcons, the Jr. K-Wings have a fantastic opportunity to bounce back quickly. This weekend features two straight home games against the Michigan Warriors, a team that Kalamazoo had tremendous success against last season. Kalamazoo posted a 10-2 record against Michigan last season, including two games where the Jr. K-Wings scored eight goals in each.

Running the helm of the Warriors is Moe Mantha, who had a wonderful playing career as a defenseman over the span of 12 years. Mantha played in 656 career NHL games, with the Jets, Penguins, Oilers, North Stars, and Flyers. His most successful season came in 1985-86, where he tallied 67 points and logged over 100 penalty minutes.

The Warriors have done a complete overhaul to their team for the 2012-13 campaign, only returning two players from last year's roster, including goalie, Trevor Gorsuch. The Warriors also have two former Jr. K-Wings on their roster, including forward AJ Marcinek, and defenseman, Mitch Wedding.

Team Leaders: Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings

Goals: Luc Boby (7 Goals)

Assists: Josh Dangel (9 Assists)

Points: Josh Dangel (12 Points)

+/-: Luc Boby (+7)

Penalty Minutes: Danny Hamburg (28 PIMs)

Power Play Goals: Robbie Payne (3 PPG)

Short Handed Goals: Entire Team (0 SHG)

Game Winning Goals: Robbie Payne, AJ Marcinek, Nick Kovalchik, Danny Hamburg, Taylor Burden (1 GWG)

Shots: Kyle Gattelaro (29 Shots)

Shooting Percentage: Nick Kovalchik, Robbie Payne (40.0%)

Goals Against Average: Alex Okicki (3.35 GAA)

Save Percentage: Alex Okicki (.894%)

Weekend Struggles

The Jr. K-Wings entered the last weekend of play against Port Huron with a record of 5-1-0, and averaging 4.66 goals for/game. Kalamazoo averaged 1.00 goals for/game over the course of the 0-2-0 weekend.

Home Cookin'

After starting the season with seven straight road contests, Kalamazoo will finally get to enjoy some home cooking. Including this upcoming weekend, the Jr. K-Wings will be home for four straight games, facing the Michigan Warriors this weekend, and the Janesville Jets next weekend.

Tickets! Get Your Tickets!!

Tickets for all Jr. K-Wings home games are now on sale. Catch all the action as your Jr. K-Wings play the very best the NAHL has to offer. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Wings West office.

Get On-Line

This season, the best way to keep track of the Jr. K-Wings is to log onto www.jrkwings.com. The site has player profiles, information about Wings Stadium events, and much, much more.

Jr. K-Wings on The Air

Catch all the Jr. K-Wings games, home and away, on www.fasthockey.com. The home games will be with the "Voice of the Jr. K-Wings" Joey Roberts. The pre-game will start five minutes before puck drop.

Upcoming Games

Saturday, October 6th Vs. Michigan 2:00 PM

Sunday, October 7th Vs. Michigan 2:00 PM

Saturday, October 13th Vs. Janesville 2:00 PM

Sunday, October 14th Vs. Janesville 2:00 PM

Friday, October 19th @ Jamestown 7:00 PM

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