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IHL 2 Kalamazoo Wings

Kalamazoo Wings Week in Review

March 12, 2007 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Kalamazoo Wings News Release


Kalamazoo began their three-game week on Wednesday (3/7) against the Muskegon Fury. The meeting was the fourth the rivals had to endure against one another over a six day span. Tied at 0-0 heading into the second, the K-Wings were the first to register on the scoreboard when Paul Caponigri (10) knocked in a rebound. Adding some insurance in the final 20 minutes, Jesse Rycroft (10) controlled a pass off the end wall from Nick Bootland and slipped a shot past Ryan Cyr to give Kalamazoo a 2-0 lead. The assist by Bootland extended his point streak to a K-Wings' season high 12-games. That's all the scoring Ryan Nie would need, as the rookie closed the door on the Fury stopping all 39 shots he faced to earn his sixth shutout of the season. The game also marked the first-time this season that the league leading Fury were shutout.

Remaining on home ice Friday (3/9), the K-Wings hosted the Bloomington PrairieThunder. Bloomington blew the lid off a scoreless game in the second period, scoring two times. Mike Zbriger (10) registered first for the Thunder scoring off a loose puck on the side of the net. Late in the period, Tyler Rennette (15) lit the lamp with a wrist shot between the circles. Closing the deficit to a single-goal, Mark Versteeg-Lytwyn (10) tickled the twine with a slap shot from the high slot. Unfortunately for the K-Wings, that's as close as they would get. Bloomington's Kris Tebbs stopped 40 of the 41 shots that came his way en route to a 2-1 Thunder victory.

Closing out a three-game homestand on Saturday (3/10), the K-Wings faced-off against the Rockford IceHogs. For the third straight game neither team could find the back of the net in the first 20 minutes of play. Rockford's Nathan Lutz (9) broke the deadlock contest with a power-play blast from the left point. With their goaltender pulled, Kalamazoo mounted a comeback with 36.4 seconds to play, when Karlander (34) scrambled for the loose puck and roofed it over outstretched IceHog netminder Frederic Cloutier to tie the game at 1-1. The ensuing shootout became a marathon as the teams needed 13 shooters to complete the extra session. Rockford outscored Kalamazoo 2-1 in the shootout and won the game by the final of 2-1.

Fast Forward

Kalamazoo hits the ice three times this week beginning on Thursday (3/15) with a road test against the Bloomington PrairieThunder. The K-Wings are 3-1-0 against the inaugural Thunder. Bloomington starts the week battling for their playoff lives, as they are 9 points behind Elmira for the eighth and final playoff spot, while the K-Wings look for a little revenge for the 2-1 loss they suffered to the Thunder last Friday.

The K-Wings will stay on the road on Friday (3/16) against the Rockford IceHogs. Kalamazoo is 1-2-2 against the IceHogs this year. Rockford currently sits in second place in the Western Conference, two points behind Fort Wayne for the top spot in the west. Rockford also holds a three-point lead over Kalamazoo for third place overall in the UHL.

Returning to Wings Stadium on Saturday (3/17) at 7:30 p.m., as the K-Wings continue a tradition by hosting the 26th Annual World Famous Fifth-Third Bank St. Patrick's Day "Green Ice" Game presented WOTV and WRKR against the Port Huron Flags. Kalamazoo is 7-2-1 against Port Huron this year, including 3-0-1 at Wings Stadium. The Flags start the week in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Nearing a Milestone

The next assist for forward Nick Bootland will be a special one. Bootland starts the week needs just one more assist to reach 200 for his career.

Leader of the Pack

Goaltender Ryan Nie leads all UHL netminders in both goals against average (2.10) and save percentage (0.928). Nie, whose last five victories have been via shutouts, also leads the league with six perfect games.

Must See Hockey

This Thursday in Bloomington, will be the first-time since March 17, 2005 that the Kalamazoo Wings will play on the fifth day of the week. All-time, Kalamazoo is 9-5-1 in contests held on Thursdays.

Marathon Ending

Kalamazoo set a new franchise record longest shootout game (13 rounds) last Saturday in a 2-1 loss to Rockford. The 13 rounds surpassed the old record of 11 rounds set December 29, 2004 during a 2-1 victory over the Motor City Mechanics.

The Obscure Stat of the Week

When Chris McAllister is in the K-Wings Line-up, they usually win. Kalamazoo is 19-4-4 when McAllister when plays.

Tickets, Get Your Tickets!!

Tickets for all K-Wings home games are now on sale. Catch all the action as your K-Wings play the very best the UHL has to offer. Tickets are on sale now by calling the Wings Stadium Ticket Office at (269) 345-5101.

Get On-Line

This season, the best way to keep track of the K-Wings is to log onto www.kwings.com. The site has player profiles, photos, information about Wings Stadium events, and much, much more. Fans of myspace can befriend the official site of Wings Stadium and the Kalamazoo Wings at www.myspace.com/wingsstadium.

Dobben and Cullaton on the Radio

Come see special guests Scott Dobben and Brent Cullaton, as they join Head Coach Mark Reeds and the Voice of the K-Wings, Mike Modugno on "K-Wings Live". The show is on Sports Radio AM 1660 Mondays from 6-7 PM at The Cabana Bar and Grille inside the Holiday Inn Kalamazoo on South 11th Street.

K-Wings on Radio

Catch all the K-Wings games home and away on the K-Wings Radio Network (WLKM 95.9 FM and Sports Radio AM 1660). Join the Voice of the K-Wings, Mike Modugno for all 76 regular season games plus the playoffs. Pre-game coverage begins with the Digital Highway Pre-Game Show 15 minutes prior to face-off. For the most complete coverage of the K-Wings from the Opening Face-Off to the Final Buzzer, keep your radio tuned this season to the K-Wings Radio Network.

Upcoming Games

Thursday, March 15th @ Bloomington 7:00 PM (CST)

Friday, March 16th @ Rockford 7:00 PM (CST)

Saturday, March 17th Vs Port Huron 7:30 PM (26th Annual World Famous Fifth-Third Bank St. Patrick's Day "Green Ice" Game presented by WOTV and WRKR)

Check out the Kalamazoo Wings Statistics

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International Hockey League 2 Stories from March 12, 2007


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