INDEPENDENCE, MO — The Kalamazoo Wings surged in the third period and scored three goals, while Joel Martin made 31 stops on 32 shots, helping propel Kalamazoo over the Kansas City Mavericks by a 4-1 score on Wednesday night at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena.
Kalamazoo were required to weather a storm of chances from Kansas City in the opening minutes of the first period, and the Mavericks’ sustained pressure yielded results at the 12:41 mark of the frame. A long shot from Kayle Doetzel was redirected in front of the net by Shawn Pauly, who tipped in his eighth goal of the season for the opening period’s only tally.
It was all Wings coming out of the first intermission and Tyler Heinonen tied the game at one, just 1:17 into the middle frame. Kyle Blaney fired the puck towards the net from the right wing, and after Tyler Parsons made the initial stop, Heinonen crashed the goal and batted home the bouncing puck for his third of the year. It was the lone goal in the second period and sent the two teams into the dressing rooms in a 1-1 stalemate.
Earning a power play early in the third period, Kalamazoo took their first lead of the night. Justin Taylor worked the puck free to Eric Kattelus, who snapped a wrist shot past Parsons, giving the Wings a 2-1 lead with 15 minutes remaining in regulation.
Shortly after killing off their fourth penalty of the game, Kalamazoo padded their gap with another third-period marker. Scott Henegar carried the puck through center in transition, and Tyler Biggs joined him for a two-on-one after being released from the penalty box. Henegar called his own number on the attack and flung a perfectly-placed wrist shot past the stick side of Parsons, opening up the Wings’ lead to a pair of goals.
With under a minute to go, Heinonen sealed the victory with his second goal of the night into the Mavericks’ empty net. It allowed the Wings to cruise to a 4-1 road triumph.
Kalamazoo and Kansas City will meet again on Friday, December 1st at 8:05 p.m. at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena.
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