
Solid Effort Comes up Short as Kalamazoo Falls in Toledo
January 31, 2020 - ECHL (ECHL)
Kalamazoo Wings News Release
TOLEDO, OH - A late penalty shot goal from Josh Kestner stopped the Kalamazoo Wings' (16-21-4-1) comeback effort in its tracks Friday in a 6-3 loss to the Toledo Walleye (25-12-3-1) at the Huntington Center. The loss snapped Kalamazoo's four-game point streak and three-game winning streak in the fifth game of a season-long six game road trip.
The Walleye struck first when Alex Kromm won a corner battle and fed a pass into the left face-off circle. The initial shot was blocked, but Kromm buried the loose puck into the back of the net. Toledo added to its lead when Kevin Spinozzi fired a puck the length of the ice and T.J. Hensick beat the icing, before playing the carom off the corner boards by firing a one-timer past Jake Kielly.
The K-Wings closed the gap to one when Matt Iacopelli fired a shot past Billy Christopoulos from the right circle at the end of a 3-on-2 rush, set-up by Justin Taylor and started by Matt VanVoorhis. The Walleye answered just 14 seconds later, however, when Kevin Spinozzi fired a shot from the point that deflected off of a Kalamazoo stick and over Kielly's shoulder to give Toledo a 3-1 lead after two.
Defenseman Zach Frye brought the K-Wings back to within one with a blast from the right point on power play 1:06 into the third period. But Toledo answered on a power play of their own when Hensick fired a shot past Kielly from the right circle for his second of the game.
Austin Farley then made it 4-3 when he snuck a backhander through the legs of Christopoulos with 6:45 left in regulation. The K-Wings received a four-minute power play in the final five minutes when Josh Winquist was called for spearing, but Kestner was upended on a short-handed breakaway to draw the penalty shot ruling. He scored to make it 5-3 with 3:34 left, and Shane Berschbach added an empty net goal to complete the scoring.
Kalamazoo finishes off a season-long six game road trip Saturday at 7:35 p.m. against the Cincinnati Cyclones at Heritage Bank Center. Catch all the action on 1660 AM in Kalamazoo or ECHL TV online, with pregame coverage starting at 7:15 p.m.
--
Kalamazoo Wings 3-Packs are now available online! Reserve your tickets for the three biggest games in the best seats with the best eats. Visit kwings.com for more information about all the perks that come with a K-Wings 3-Pack!
The Kalamazoo Wings are a professional hockey team located in southwest Michigan that has been a staple in the Kalamazoo, MI professional sports landscape since 1974. The K-Wings compete in the ECHL and are the AA affiliate of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks. Kalamazoo plays their 36 regular season home games at Wings Event Center from October through April.
ECHL Stories from January 31, 2020
- Roy's Big Night Helps Pave Way to Florida's 7th Straight Win - Florida Everblades
- Solid Effort Comes up Short as Kalamazoo Falls in Toledo - Kalamazoo Wings
- Walleye Set Season High with Fifth Consecutive Victory - Toledo Walleye
- Admirals Score Five Unanswered Goals, Win 8-6 - Norfolk Admirals
- Mavs Grab Last Second Win in OT, Schultz Gets First Career Victory - Kansas City Mavericks
- Cyclones Overcome Fuel in Overtime - Indy Fuel
- Wichita Falls in First Home Game Since January 11 - Wichita Thunder
- Norfolk Comes from Behind to Stun Rays, 8-6 - South Carolina Stingrays
- Swamp Rabbits Drop Decision to Everblades - Greenville Swamp Rabbits
- Cyclones Overcome Early Deficit, Win in Overtime - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Day Scores a Pair as Mariners Complete Road Trip Sweep of Thunder - Maine Mariners
- Brown Breaks Late Tie, as Nailers Edge Orlando, 3-2 - Wheeling Nailers
- Gooch Dazzles for Hat Trick, MacDonald Registers 100th Career Win - Reading Royals
- Royals Squash the Railers 5-1 - Worcester Railers HC
- Thunder Drop Penalty Filled Affair with Mariners, 5-2 - Adirondack Thunder
- Growlers Win 17th Straight Home Game - Newfoundland Growlers
- Forward Diego Cuglietta Loaned from Texas Stars to Steelheads - Idaho Steelheads
- ECHL Transactions - January 31 - ECHL
- Shorthanded Goal Leads Allen over Tulsa - Allen Americans
- Hawkins Recalled to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - Wheeling Nailers
- Game Preview: Solar Bears at Nailers - Orlando Solar Bears
- Cyclones Game Preview: vs. Indy Fuel - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Cyclones Add Phillips Ahead of Weekend Action - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Mariners to Collect Books for Ronald McDonald House Charities - Maine Mariners
- Toledo Night Market Coming to Winterfest - Toledo Walleye
- Game Notes: at Idaho - Rapid City Rush
- Swamp Rabbits Sign Lincoln Griffin - Greenville Swamp Rabbits
- Game Preview: Komets at IceMen, January 31, 2020 - Jacksonville Icemen
- It's Stomper's Birthday - Greenville Swamp Rabbits
- Rays Announce Updates to Promo Schedule - South Carolina Stingrays
- Players' Month Opens on Saturday - ECHL
- Josh Anderson and Kevin Davis Returns to Club - Utah Grizzlies
- Admirals March in North Charleston Looking for Redemption - Norfolk Admirals
- Royals Visit Worcester with Chance to Increase Gap on Railers - Reading Royals
- Growlers Pregame Notes: January 31 vs. Brampton Beast - Newfoundland Growlers
- Oilers Fall to Allen, Drop League-Leading Point Streak - Tulsa Oilers
- IceMen Earn a Point in 3-2 Overtime Loss to Komets - Jacksonville Icemen
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Kalamazoo Wings Stories
- Cadeau Earns Babik Award, ECHL Media/PR Director of the Year
- K-Wings Announce 2025-26 Schedule Change with Cyclones in February
- K-Wings Garner Six 2024-25 ECHL Team Award Nominations
- K-Wings Return to the Streets with the Kalamazoo Promise, Kzoo Parks & NHL Street©
- K-Wings Release 2025-26 Regular Season Schedule

