KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Kalamazoo Wings (17-22-3-0) battled hard from behind against the Fort Wayne Komets (20-14-4-2) Saturday on ‘Hockey For Her’ night at Wings Event Center, but couldn’t complete the comeback, falling 4-2.
Fort Wayne scored first at the 7:11 mark of the first period and carried the 1-0 lead into the first intermission. The Komets then made it 2-0 with a power play tally at the 6:41 mark of the second.
Max Humitz (12) drew the K-Wings to within one with a power play goal at the 18:07 mark of the second frame. On the play, Justin Murray (13) fed the puck to Matheson Iacopelli (10) in the left faceoff circle, and he found Humitz in the slot for the five-hole score.
Kalamazoo never celebrated the power play strike, as a skirmish immediately following the goal left the K-Wings shorthanded after Justin Taylor was given a double minor for roughing. Fort Wayne capitalized at the 19:47 mark and reextended its lead to two goals to finish the middle frame.
The K-Wings struck again with a no-doubt snipe by Raymond Brice (9) at the 6:54 mark of the third, ripping a shot from the top of the right circle off the left post and into the back of the net. Taylor (12) and Collin Saccoman (7) assisted on the goal.
Kalamazoo pulled goaltender Pavel Cajan (4-2-0-0) with just over two minutes remaining, but the Komets found the empty net at the 18:14 mark to close out the victory. Cajan made 44 stops on 47 shots faced in the loss.
The K-Wings play the Cincinnati Cyclones (23-11-5-2) at 3:00 p.m. EST on Sunday at Wings Event Center.
Broadcast time on 590/106.9 WKZO is 2:35 pm
THIS REPORT WRITTEN BY CHRIS CADEAU, VOICE OF THE K WINGS
