Toledo, OH - The Toledo Walleye defeated the Kalamazoo Wings in the pre season finale on Labatt Hockey Night in Toledo at the Huntington Center with a final score of 5-4.
Five different Walleye scored as they split the pre season series against the Kalamazoo Wings.
How it Happened:
Manning the offense for the Fish were Tyler Spezia, Sam Craggs, and Brandon Hawkins. On defense was Jalen Smereck and Tanner Palocsik while Carter Gylander started in net.
Both teams came out strong in the first. After an interference call on Kalamazoo, the Walleye took advantage of the power-play opportunity and scored 1:16 into the period, Carson Bantle lit the lamp yet again, while newcomer Jalen Smereck and Mitchell Lewandowski tallied the assists on the goal.
Kalamazoo responded right away and quickly tied the game thereafter with a goal from Ben Berard with Jaden Shields assisting the play.
The Walleye took little time to respond and scored two goals back-to-back. First, it was Brandon Kruse, and not even three minutes later, Mitchell Lewandowki added some reassurance, giving the Walleye a two-goal lead.
Late in the period, Kalamazoo made it a one-goal game with a goal from Ian Mackey, and the Fish led the K-Wings 3-2 going into the 2nd.
In the second period, Dalton Messina scored from behind-the-net as it bounced off Kalamazoo goaltender Chad Veltri’s back and into the net, giving the Walleye a 4-2 lead. Shortly after, Casey Dornbach shoots a one-timer and scores at the 9:41 mark of the second period.
The K-Wings responded at the 11:58 mark with a goal from Jaden Shields. Toledo headed into the final frame with a 5-3 lead.
Through a quiet final period, Kalamazoo made it a one-goal game with 14.5 seconds remaining in regulation. However, the Fish were able to hold off the K-Wings and secure the win.
What’s Next:
The Toledo Walleye will travel to Bloomington, Illinois for the regular season premiere against the newest ECHL team, the Bloomington Bison. The first game is Saturday, October 19 at 8 p.m. ET.
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