Despite two goals by Sorenson, K-Wings fall to Komets

FORT WAYNE, IN – A three-goal second period helped the Kalamazoo Wings (19-25-6-1) pull even while playing two-men short most of the night, but the Fort Wayne Komets (25-20-6-2) escaped with a 5-4 win at Memorial Coliseum.

The Komets power play received an early four-minute opportunity and Brady Shaw capitalized on a K-Wings turnover with a goal from the right wing circle 2:55 into the game. Fort Wayne outshot Kalamazoo 13-9 in the frame and added to its lead when Brett McKenzie snapped a shot past Jake Hildebrand on a 2-on-1 rush during a late 4-on-4 situation with 3:54 left in the period.

Kalamazoo jumped out and dominated the second period to force a 3-3 tie after 40 minutes. Tanner Sorenson scored twice, including the K-Wings first goal on a snap shot from the right wing that flew over Dylan Ferguson’s glove. The Komets regained their two-goal lead when Mason Bergh banked a shot from the corner off of a K-Wings defenseman and in for a short-handed goal, making it 3-1.

Austin Farley cleaned up a rebound from the edge of the crease to cut Kalamazoo’s deficit down to one, and Sorenson ripped home a power play goal from the left circle to tie the contest in the final minute of the stanza.

Shaw put the Komets back in front when he fired home a one-timer on a 3-on-2 rush for his second of the game, and Fort Wayne added insurance when a fluky bounce caromed off of Drake Rymsha and redirected past Hildebrand to make it 5-3 midway through the third. Kalamazoo pulled within one again when Justin Taylor capped off a 3-on-1 rush with a tap-in, but the Komets held off the Wings late push to hang on.

Kalamazoo returns home to host the Indy Fuel on Alumni Night at 7 p.m. Friday at Wings Event Center. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Joel Martin Bobblehead. The K-Wings then host the Wheeling Nailers at 7 p.m. Saturday at Wings Event Center for Wizards, Wands and Wings Night. The first 1,000 fans that night will receive an exclusive K-Wings scarf.

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