KALAMAZOO MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Kalamazoo Wings (0-1-0-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, ran into a red hot Indy Fuel (2-0-0-0) power play unit and lost the season-opener in front of 4,000 fans on Saturday, 5-3.
Matheson Iacopelli opened the scoring with a goal at the 5:06 mark of the first period on a 5-on-3 power play advantage for the K-Wings. Mason McCarty returned the puck to Iacopelli after Matheson’s initial shot, and he rifled it into the net from the slot. Justin Murray assisted on the goal.
Indy then scored the next four goals on the power play to make it a 4-1 game heading into the third period.
Logan Lambdin then gave Kalamazoo life early in the third with a goal, as he and Chad Nychuk hooked up masterfully to draw the K-Wings to within two. Lambdin got the puck to Nychuk coming into the offensive zone, and Nychuk dished it right back as Lambdin crashed the crease. The assist goes into the books as Nychuk’s first professional point.
Indy added another goal just over six minutes later. But the K-Wings were not done yet.
Kalamazoo then went back to work on the power play. It drew two penalties within 48-seconds with just 1:58 left in the game. And with the net empty, Iacopelli lit the lamp to pull the K-Wings back to within two. Murray and McCarty assisted on the 6-on-3 goal.
Trevor Gorsuch made seven saves in the loss. Hunter Vorva made his K-Wings and ECHL debut in relief and stopped 12 of the 13 shots he faced. In the end, Kalamazoo was 2 for 8 on the power play and outshot Indy 34-24.
The K-Wings next game is this upcoming Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. versus the Indy Fuel at Wings Event Center.
Broadcast time on 590/106.9 WKZO is 10:05 am.
THIS REPORT WRITTEN BY CHRIS CADEAU, VOICE OF THE KALAMAZOO WINGS
