Pope nets hat trick in return to Kalamazoo

INDEPENDENCE, MO – Fresh off a three-week stint with the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets, forward David Pope netted his first career hat trick in leading the Kalamazoo Wings (15-20-4-1) to a convincing 6-1 win over the Kansas City Mavericks (18-22-2-1) Tuesday at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena.

A day after rejoining the team, Pope gave Kalamazoo an early lead when he buried a rebound in front of the net. Kansas City answered on their first power play when Terrance Amorosa flung a shot through a screen from the point to tie the score 1-1.

The K-Wings quickly responded 40 seconds later, as Justin Taylor tapped home a rebound in front of Nick Schneider to make it 2-1, and Tanner Sorenson showed off his hand-eye coordination later in the frame when he batted a puck into the net from waist level stationed in the left circle.

Kalamazoo, with a 3-1 lead, added to its total with the only goal of the second period. This time, Pope blasted a one-timer underneath the cross bar from a sharp angle in the right circle. Garret Ross and Luke Sandler picked up assists, the second of the game for each player.

Pope found the net a third time to complete his first pro hat trick to make it 5-1 when he snapped a shot over Schneider’s shoulder from the left circle 7:39 into the third period. The K-Wings added a late power play goal in the final minutes when Ross picked up his third assist of the night, setting up Justin Kovacs for a tap-in.