K-Wings Take Down Bison, Preston Tallies Five Assists
January 26, 2025 - ECHL (ECHL)
Kalamazoo Wings News Release
KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Wings (14-22-1-1), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, dismantled the Bloomington Bison (18-18-1-2) behind a five-assist afternoon by Quinn Preston at Wings Event Center Sunday, 6-2.
Preston's five assists established a new career-high in single game points for his professional career and was the K-Wings' first five-point game since Erik Bradford notched two goals and three assists on Dec. 31, 2023 in a 7-0 win over Indy. It's also just the third time this feat has happened in the ECHL this season.
Luc Salem (2) opened the scoring at the 3:13 mark of the first. Ben Berard (9) brought the puck down the right side, drawing the Bloomington netminder over before finding Salem in the slot to smash it home. Max Humitz (8) earned the secondary assist on the game's opening goal.
Zach Okabe (9) then scored on the power play at the 5:16 mark to make it 2-0. Okabe played give-and-go with Preston (15), who sent his return pass from right-to-left at the top of the circles for the one-time blast by the rookie. Berard (10) picked up the secondary assist.
Bloomington switched netminders after the second tally and scored on the power play to draw within one at the 12:16 mark.
Josh Bloom (7) found the back of the net during 4-on-4 action at the 17:19 mark. Bloom took the feed from Preston (16), blazed down through the left circle and fired a quick wrister through the five-hole for the goal.
The Bison answered with a goal just 37 seconds later, still skating four aside, to make it 3-2.
After a scoreless middle frame, Zach Berzolla (1) scored a power-play goal to restore the K-Wings' lead to two at the 3:11 mark of the third. On the play, Jon Martin (7) sent the puck from the endboards to Preston (17) on the left side, who found Berzolla charging from the point into the left circle to fire a wrister home over the goalkeeper's left shoulder.
Okabe (10) tacked on an empty-net goal at the 17:23 mark to make it 5-2. Preston (18) sent the puck to Collin Saccoman (9) to clear the defensive zone, and he found Okabe leaking down the left side to fire a shot just past a diving Bloomington skater and inside the right post.
The Bison wouldn't go down easy, scoring at the 18:50 mark to make it a two-goal game again.
Then, Saccoman (4) finished things off with another empty-netter with 8.8 seconds left. On the play, Okabe (13) sent the puck to Preston (19), whose chip just missed the empty goal but he gathered the rebound and found Saccoman streaming down to the top of the right circle to punch it home.
Ty Young (6-5-0-1) was strong in net, making 25 saves to earn the victory.
Kalamazoo now heads to Iowa for three games against the Heartlanders (22-12-4-2) starting Friday at 8:00 p.m. (7:00 CST) at Xtream Arena.
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Pink Ice is just around the corner, as Kalamazoo will host Bloomington 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!
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