Kalamazoo, MI- If Valentine’s Day was meant to be spent with loved ones, no one told the Kalamazoo Wings and Flint Generals, who played a physical contest filled with three fights and nine combined goals.
In a night that the saw a wedding proposal in the seats from a fan and the wedding of Shannon Perry and Jack Fritz, it was the K-Wings that gave the gift of victory to the enthusiastic crowd of 3,928 with a 5-4 come from behind win during the 8th Annual Borgess Health Pink Ice Game presented by WKFR and The CW 7.
Nick Bootland gave the K-Wings an early 1-0 lead scoring on his own rebound 6:46 into the game. The tally from Bootland was his team leading 29th of the season.
Flint answered back two minutes later on the power-play when Jordan Fox finished off a two-on-one for his 26th goal of the season.
Regaining the lead at the 13:20 mark, Bootland scored his second of the game and his league leading 30th of the year with a slap shot from the high slot.
The Generals pulled even in the second with a blast from the left circle from Jarred Dumba (18th). Kalamazoo responded moments later with a 5-on-3 power-play goal from Kory Karlander (25th).
Using two unanswered goals in the third period from Joesf Fojtik (21st) and Michel Beausoleil (20th), Flint pushed ahead 4-3,
Just 28 seconds after Beausoleil gave the Generals the first lead of the night, Kalamazoo’s RyanKindret (1st) tipped in the equalizer. Kindret was one of four K-Wings makings his debut for Kalamazoo.
Building on the momentum of Kindret’s strike, Tyler Willis found Karlander (26th) on the door step for his second on the night. The goal from Karlander, which proved to be the game-winner, ties him with Bootland, Travis Granbois and Mark Versteeg-Lytwyn for the team lead with two.
The goal also capped off a big night for the K-Wings top line. Bootland and Karlander each finished the game with three points (2 goals, 1 assist), while Willis sparked the K-Wings with two fights and four assists.
With the win, Kalamazoo snapped a three-game winless streak at home and upped their pink ice winning streak to five games. The K-Wings, who gave up a season-high 48 shots, are now 4-0-0-0 when allowing over 44 shots on net.
For Game Stats: http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/gamesheet_full.html?gameid=533914
Hitting the road for two straight, the K-Wings will start the trip tomorrow (2/15) with an 8 p.m. clash with arch-rival, the Fort Wayne Komets.
Kalamazoo will return home next Friday, February 22nd with a 7:30 p.m. face-off versus the Bloomington PrairieThunder on Pennzoil 10 Minute Oil Change/RPM Oil Lube Night.
Single game tickets for the entire K-Wings 2007-08 home schedule are currently on sale at the Wings Stadium Ticket Office. Tickets range from $9-$14. Prices for K-Wings games will increase $1 for premium game nights (Orange Ice, Pink Ice, Green Ice & New Years Eve). Fans are also encouraged to purchase their game tickets in advance, as they will save $1 per ticket by getting their seats prior to a game day.
Ticket Office hours are Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information, call the Wings Stadium Ticket Office during regular business hours at (269) 345-5101.
For more information about tonight’s game, please contact Director of Public Relations/Broadcaster Mike Modugno at (269) 349-9772 extension 220.
