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Kalamazoo Ends Weekend Series With Two Home Victories

January 15, 2012 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings News Release


Kalamazoo, MI- Drew Graves scored twice, including a shorthanded goal to lead the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings to a 4-3 shootout victory over the Traverse City North Stars on Sunday at the Borgess Health Rink at Wings West.

Only fifty-five seconds had elapsed in Sunday's contest before the Jr. K-Wings lit the lamp for the first time of the game. Gravespoked home his 16th goal of the season when he received a Robbie Payne pass and buried a sharp-angle shot past Traverse City starting goaltender, Kyle Laslo.

Traverse City responded just under nine minutes later with a power play tally of their own. Will Badner scored his team leading twelfth of the season when he stickhandled through the Kalamazoo defense en route to Ken MacLean's net.

His forehand to backhand deke snuck through the five-hole of MacLean, drawing the game to one apiece.

Another quick start to the period proved beneficial for the Jr. K-Wings, as it only took them a minute and forty-eight seconds to score their second of the game. Jacob McDowell (8th)carried the line and put a wrist shot past Laslo to give Kalamazoo a 2-1 lead.

At the 3:25 mark of the period, Traverse City locked the game back up at two apiece. Jared Von Wormer handled a loose puck in the high slot and put it past MacLean for his ninth of the season.

With just over three minutes remaining in the frame, and tied at 2-2, Traverse City headed to a power play. However, it was Kalamazoo that profited from their man-advantage. Graves stole the puck in the neutral zone, walked into the North Stars zone and placed a wrist shot into the back of the net for his 17th of the campaign.

Trailing by one with under three minutes remaining in the game, Traverse City pulled even with Michael Toman's first of the season of a wrist shot from the left circle that beat MacLean over the glove side.

The goal forced overtime, in which neither team scored, requiring a five-man shootout. Tied at one apiece in the shootout and down to the final shooter in the final round, Robbie Payne, put the puck through the five-hole of Laslo and into the back of the net for the game winner.

MacLean won his third consecutive contest and improved his record to 10-5-1 by making 25 saves on the afternoon.

K-Wings will return to the Borgess Health Rink at Wings West again on Saturday, January 21st against the Michigan Warriors.



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