
K-Wings Charge Out The Gate, Drop Komets On Road
April 12, 2023 - ECHL (ECHL)
Kalamazoo Wings News Release
FORT WAYNE, IN - The Kalamazoo Wings (28-36-5-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets, built on a three-goal first period all the way to victory against the Fort Wayne Komets (33-29-4-3) Wednesday, winning 5-3 at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
The K-Wings jumped on the scoreboard first as Robert Calisti (12) found twine at the 5:25 mark of the first period. Ayden MacDonald (13) found Raymond Brice (4) for the initial shot, and Calisti blasted home the rebound from the left faceoff dot.
Kalamazoo made it 2-0 off the stick of Coale Norris (11) on a power play at the 10:25 mark of the first. David Keefer (3) took the initial shot from the left circle, and Norris was waiting at the bottom of the right circle to pump in the rebound. Collin Saccoman (15) earned the secondary assist on the goal.
Just 16 seconds later, however, Fort Wayne responded with a goal to make it 2-1.
At the 15:24 mark, Luke Morgan (9) pushed his own rebound into the back of the net to extend the lead back to two. On the play, MacDonald (14) forced a turnover in the offensive zone, found Norris (8) in the right circle, and Norris fed Morgan crashing the crease who scored on his own rebound out front.
Fort Wayne struck back at the 11:10 mark of the second period to draw within one again.
Then, it was Connor Fedorek (1) made his first professional goal the game-winner at the 17:06 mark. The milestone came on a 3-on-1 rush, Brice (5) fed the puck from the left side to Justin Taylor (19) coming down the slot, and he forwarded it to Fedorek to fire it home.
The Komets once again had a quick response, scoring just 28 seconds after Fedorek's goal to make it 4-3.
But the K-Wings stood tall, with Ben Copeland (5) scoring on the power play at the 1:38 mark of the third. Copeland picked up the rebound off of the initial shot by Justin Murray (29), skated behind the net and into the left circle before sending a wrist shot into the back of the net. Brad Morrison (16) collected the secondary assist on the power play tally.
Hunter Vorva (12-9-2-0) was spectacular in net for the K-Wings, stopping 38 of 41 shots faced including all 18 of Fort Wayne's shots on net in the third period, helping Kalamazoo to a 3 for 3 performance on the penalty kill.
The K-Wings head back home to face the Toledo Walleye (44-18-4-3) Friday at 7:00 p.m. EDT at Wings Event Center.
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ECHL Stories from April 12, 2023
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