KALAMAZOO – The Force of Fox Awakens
Kalamazoo’s Dane Fox would strike twice with goals in the first, sending the message that the K-Wings were ready and this was not going to go as the first six meetings 
between the two teams had. The heated rivalry brought nearly 3,000 fans to K-Wings Stadium Saturday night to see Kalamazoo defeat the Komets (4-2) on ‘Star Wars Night’.
“It’s five in a row for us and we’ve been playing solid hockey for the last couple of weeks” said K-Wings Head coach Nick Bootland. “We’re sticking to our game plan for sixty minutes.”
The division-leading Fort Wayne Komets started out flat in the first, appearing to watch the puck instead of playing the puck.
“We weren’t ready, the start cost us the game” said Komets Head coach Gary Graham. “It’s the half-way point in the season and we’ve got a big bullseye on our back.”
Fox would extend his goal-scoring streak to four games at 3:11 in the first period on a one timer from Eric Kettlus. His second score would be an unassisted marker towards the end of the first (18:48), shooting from the left and just over the shoulder of the Komets Roman Will.
Fort Wayne came alive with a goal from Matthew Pistilli (Petryk) in the second at 2:45. Kalamazoo answered back at 5:37 on a goal from Bourbeau’s fourth of the year (Scheidl, Taylor) making the score 3-1.
The Komets would pull within one (3-2) at the 13:41 mark in the third with a goal from Garrett Meurs (Embach, Severyn).
K-Wings Matt Caria grabbed the game-ending goal at 18:09, his 9th of the season (4-2).
Both teams will meet again tonight in Fort Wayne at the Memorial Coliseum, start time 5:00 p.m.
Stars of the Game: (KAL) Jean Bourbeau, (KAL) Dane Fox, (KAL) Justin Taylor
Photos by JohnRothwell@prohockeynews.com
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