PHN’s Best Shots of the Game: Caria nets hat trick in K-Wings victory over Komets Kalamazoo defeats Fort Wayne 8-4

KALAMAZOO – Accomplishing something that no Kalamazoo Wings player has done in 202 games, Matt Caria netted a hat trick as part of a four-point night to lead the K-Wings past the Fort Wayne Komets 8-4 Wednesday night at Wings Stadium.

Beginning the game with an early push, the Komets struck first, just 2:27 into the game when Kaleigh Schrock buried his third of the season. 

Answering back just 1:12 later, Ludwig Blomstrand recorded his team-leading 23rd of the season on a redirection to even the game at 1-1.  Setting the teeter-totter in motion, Cody Sol (7th) gave Fort Wayne the lead just 18-seconds later.

Not staying down for long, the K-Wings fired right back with Caria’s (19th) first of the night.

Just before the end of the period, Christian Ouellet knocked home his 13th of the season, with a power-play strike to give the Komets a 3-2 advantage.

The second period began similar to the first with a flurry of back-to-back goals from both teams. Caria opened the scoring for the stanza with his second of the game and 20th of the season, tying the contest for the third time.

The Komets fought back when Drew Daniels (4th) gave the Komets their fourth lead of the game.

Scoring shorthanded, Kalamazoo would tie the game once again off the stick of Michael Neal for his 15th of the season.

Giving the K-Wings their first lead of the contest, Caria (21st) fired home his third of the game to complete the hat-trick. It was the first hat-trick scored by a K-Wings player since Darren Archibald did it on March 28th, 2012.

Finishing the period strong, the K-Wings would tack on a late insurance marker from the captain Jean Bourbeau for his eighth tally of the season.

Not wanting to give Fort Wayne any glimmer of hope, Kalamazoo extended their lead to 7-4 with a Gergo Nagy (12th) deflection of a blue line shot from Steven Kaunisto. Finishing the game with five points (1 goal, 4 assists), Nagy tied the team’s ECHL record for points in a single game.

Extending their lead to four, the K-Wings gave themselves breathing room with a power-play marker from Dane Fox (23rd). The goal ties him with Blomstrand for the team lead.
With K-Wings game report