KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings (17-17-3-3), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, narrowly dropped an overtime contest versus the Cincinnati Cyclones (19-18-3-0) on Wednesday at Wings Event Center, 5-4.
Colin Bilek (10) started off the scoring for the K-Wings, bulleting a one-timer from the left dot at the 10:37 mark of the first period. On the play, Nolan Walker (18) sent a goal-line pass to Davis Pennington (19) inside the blue line, who found Bilek for the goal.
Quinn Preston (13) carried the momentum, finding the net only 1:21 later to bring the score to 2-0. On the setup, Josh Bloom (3) passed the puck to Pennington (20), who fired a left-circle pass to Preston at the top of the crease. Preston then found a gap inside the left post, increasing the lead to two.
Unfortunately, the Cyclones responded with a pair of goals at the 12:14 and 19:45 marks to even the game at two. Cincinnati scored another goal at the 5:09 mark of the second.
Then, Bloom (2) recorded his second point of the night via a backhanded goal from inside the crease, tying the game at three at the 14:03 mark. On the equalizer, Zach Okabe (19) recovered the puck near the right circle and outletted a pass to Bloom, who crossed up the netminder and deposited his second goal of the season.
The Cyclones responded with a goal with one minute remaining in the second period.
Jackson Kunz (1) then knotted the game at four and sent the game to extra time with his first professional goal at the 8:52 mark of the third frame. On the game-tying goal, Bloom (4) wrapped around the net and found Okabe (20) in the slot. Okabe then fired a rocket from the high slot, finding Kunz’s stick for the tip-in goal.
Unfortunately, Cincinnati found the back of the net 3:07 into overtime, finalizing a 5-4 score.
Ty Young (7-3-1-0) made 36 saves, and the K-Wings went 1-for-3 on the power play & 2-for-3 on the penalty kill.
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