Kalamazoo, MI – The Toledo Walleye defeated the Kalamazoo Wings tonight by a score of 5-1 at the Wings Event Center. Tanner Dickinson and Jordan Ernst each had two points on the night, both with a goal and an assist; and three other Walleye skaters found the back of the net, including Conlan Keenan, Tanner Kelly, and Brandon Hawkins. Nolan Lalonde manned the net, stopping 33 of 34 shots he faced on the night. 

How it Happened:

Toledo struck first as Tanner Dickinson got the scoring started 11:08 into the first period, his 14^th goal of the season to put the Walleye up 1-0 unassisted. Toledo’s defense maintained the lead and Conlan Keenan ripped a shot past Ty Young for his fourth goal of the season, putting Toledo up 2-0 in the last three minutes of the first period. Will Hillman and Riley McCourt got the assists on the goal. 

Sam Craggs took a hooking penalty with 56 seconds to go in the first period, Kalamazoo’s first power play opportunity of the day. The K-Wings got a couple of scoring chances in the waning moments of the first period, but the power play carried over into the second with 1:04 to go after the intermission. The Walleye killed off the rest of the penalty and got their first offensive chance of the period. 

Jordan Ernst buried a goal above the shoulder of Ty Young, Ernst’s 10^th goal of the season 1:51 into the second period. The assists on the goal came from Tanner Dickinson and Mitch Lewandowski on the goal that put Toledo up 3-0 early in the second. Toledo took another penalty, this time for too many men on the ice, their second penalty of the night. Colby Ambrosio would be the one to serve the two-minute minor. Quinn Preston got the K-Wings on the board on the power play, scoring his 12^th goal of the season 5:12 into the second to bring Kalamazoo within two. 

Both teams had multiple good scoring opportunities as the period went on, but there was no other scoring in the second as the Walleye held onto the 3-1 lead. Tanner Kelly scored the first goal of the third period, a one-timer on a pass across the slot by Denis Smirnov 4:21 into the period, putting the Walleye up 4-1 on Kelly’s 10^th goal of the season. 

Things got chippy halfway through the third period, and Will MacKinnon was penalized for a high cross-check that put Kalamazoo on their third power play of the night 8:16 into the period, which was killed off. Kalamazoo opted to pull Ty Young in favor of the extra attacker with 2 minutes to go and down three. 

Toledo took possession of the puck and Brandon Hawkins scored on the empty net on a pass from Sam Craggs with just over a minute to go in regulation, sealing the game and putting the Walleye up 5-1. The empty net goal was Hawkins’s 22^nd goal of the season from Craggs and Nate Roy.

The final score of 5-1 held up, as Toledo ended the game outshooting Kalamazoo 38-34, killing off two of three penalties and not getting a chance at the power play. 

Three Stars:

1 – F Jordan Ernst, TOL (1 G, 1 A)

2 – G Nolan Lalonde (33 SVS, .971 SV%)

3 – F Conlan Keenan (GWG)

What’s Next:

The Walleye will head back to Toledo tomorrow to face off against the Kalamazoo Wings again at the Huntington Center, looking to follow up tonight’s offensive dominance and pick up their third straight win at home. Puck drop for the game is set for 7:15 PM