WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
The Kalamazoo Wings (30-26-4-2)have been struggling as of late, but luck was on their side during Saturday nights 37th Annual Green Ice Game at Wings Event Center.
The Cincinnati Cyclones (35-24-2-0) were in town for the festivities and so was a standing room only crowd of 5,279 festive K-Wings fans.
The Cyclones scored early in the first period to take the early 1-0 lead. Daniel Muzito-Bagenda skated toward the goal, sending the puck to the net. The puck hit K-Wings goaltender Joel Martin on the helmet, fell to the ice and across the goal line.
Scott Henegar tied the game 1-1 just under 10 minutes later with his tenth of the season. The play started as Jimmy Mullin fired the puck to the net. Cyclones goaltender Jason Kasdorf misplayed the puck, leaving it loose. Henegar was able to poke his stick into the crease pushing the puck in for the goal.
Lane Scheidl scored his 15th goal of the season in the second period to give the K-Wings a 2-1 lead. Scheidl took a pass from Kyle Blaney to give him his third goal in two games.
A one-two attack in the third period gave the K-Wings all the momentum they needed to ride out the victory. Midway into the final period, the K-WIngs scored two goals in 30 seconds to take a 4-1 lead.
Aaron Irving sent a laser shot from the blue that passed over the shoulder of Kasdorf to give the K-Wings a 3-1 lead. Irving now has 14 goals on the season.
Mullin scored the final goal of the night with his 18th of the year in another goal crease scrum. Eric Kattelus initially shot the puck, but the save was made by Kasdorf. After Brendan Bradley was able to play the rebound, Mullin slid in and pushed the puck over the line for the goal.
With the win, the K-Wings currently hold a 2-point advantage over the Kansas City Mavericks and Indy Fuel for the fourth playoff spot. The Mavericks played Sunday evening, but the game was not over by press time.
With just 10 games remaining, the K-Wings will only play two of those games at Wings Event Center. Their next home game is this Thursday night at 7 p.m. as they host the Wichita Thunder. The last regular season home game will be April 7.
The K-Wings travel to Fort Wayne on Wednesday for a battle with the Komets.
Submitted by Mark McGlothlen
