K-Wings fall to Stingrays

KALAMAZOO – Taking on the top team in the ECHL, the Kalamazoo Wings (7-6-0-2) forced the South Carolina Stingrays (14-2-1-2) to overtime on Saturday night only to falter in the shootout and lose by a score of 3-2.

With the win, the Stingrays remain unbeaten in regulation while on the road.

Yanni Gourde put the K-Wings on the board early in the second period with his seventh goal of the year. Eric Kattalus and Elgin Reid assisted on the goal. The assist by Reid was the 100th of his career. The goal by Gourde tied Kattelus for the team lead at seven.

K-Wings goaltender Joel Martin held opponents scoreless for 168:28 dating back to November 8 until Jack Downing scored a power-play goal in the opening minute of the third period.

Taking the lead later in the period, Marc Hagel scored added another power-play goal at the midway point of the stanza to give the Stingrays their first lead of the game.

Celebrating his 39th birthday in style, Sam Ftorek scored a power-play goal minutes after the Hagel goal to knot the game at 2-2. Mike Matczak and Aaron Clarke assisted on the goal.

No goals were scored again during regulation sending the game into overtime. Neither the K-Wings nor the Stingrays were able to put the game away in the OT which forced the sudden death shootout.

Downing and Chad Painchaud scored for the Stingrays while David Pacan scored for the K-Wings, giving the Stingrays the 3-2 victory.

The K-Wings lost to the Florida Everblades on Wednesday night by a score of 5-2 and defeated the Fort Wayne Komets 4-0 on Friday night.

Hitting the road to South Carolina and Georgia, the K-Wings will take on the Greenville Road Warriors on Friday and Sunday and the Gwinnett Gladiators on Saturday.