Ben Copeland (3) scored the overtime game-winner from the right circle at 2:32 mark of the extra period. Justin Murray (24) carried the puck into the offensive zone and found Copeland streaming up the right side armed with a wicked wrister. Brandon Saigeon (27) earned the secondary assist on the overtime winner.
Neither team scored in the first period, and Copeland (2) opened the scoring just 55 seconds into the second period for the K-Wings. On the play, Luke Morgan (13) gave the puck to Brad Morrison (11) in the slot, and he found Copeland alone on the left side to send it in.
Just 51 seconds later, David Keefer (1) scored his first professional goal to make it 2-0 Kalamazoo. Robert Calisti (14) fed the puck to Keefer in the right circle, and Kobe Roth (14) earned the secondary assist on the career mark.
Indy responded with goals at the 2:09 and 3:26 marks of the middle frame with the first coming just 23 seconds after Keefer’s goal. The Fuel then took the lead with a goal at the 16:37 mark of the middle frame.
After two periods the Fuel mounted a 35-16 shot advantage, but the K-Wings defense would clamp down to allow just three shots for the rest of regulation.
This allowed Kyle Rhodes (4) to score his first goal as a K-Wing and tie the game at the 14:04 mark of the third. Rhodes ripped in a blue line blast after Morgan (14) battled for the puck behind the Fuel goal and found him at the point. Calisti (15) collected the secondary assist on the game-tying goal.
Kalamazoo was backstopped with a great performance in net by Evan Cormier (9-18-3-0). Cormier made 36 saves on 39 shots to get the K-Wings to overtime and save the game in the extra period, pulling the puck off the goalline to set up Copeland’s heroics.
The K-Wings and Fuel will duel again on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. EDT at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
With Kalamazoo Wings release
Interested in writing about hockey, opining about your team, photographing hockey? Stop by our recruitment page by clicking here.
You must be logged in to post a comment.