Kalamazoo never trailed in its first visit to the Fuel's new arena.
The Kalamazoo Wings’ first visit to the Indy Fuel’s new Fishers Event Center on Saturday was a successful one, even if it took overtime to determine the outcome.
Zach Okabe was the hero for the K-Wings on this night, scoring the game-winner at the 2:32 mark of OT to ensure a 4-3 victory.
Just two minutes into the opening frame, Travis Broughman got the Wings on the board first after Ted Nichols delivered a vicious forecheck, causing an errant pass by the Fuel. The puck found its way onto Broughman’s stick in the left circle, and he walked in all alone for a 1-0 Kalamazoo lead.
During a 4-on-4 late in the first period, Lee Lapid potted his first goal as a K-Wing for a 2-0 lead at 18:38 of the first. Max Humitz forced a turnover in the defensive zone and fed Lapid, who broke behind the Fuel defense to finish off a breakaway.
The second period belonged to Indy, as they scored two unanswered goals to tie the score 2-2. It was the club’s annual Teddy Bear Toss night, and Ryan Gagnier delivered the goal that brought a franchise record 6,852 stuffed animals onto the ice.
Gagnier’s goal came at the 6:41 mark, assisted by Colin Bilek and Bryan Lemos.
After Lucas Brenton was called for holding, Jordan Martin scored the Fuel’s second shorthanded goal of the season to tie the score 2-2, assisted by Darby Llewellyn.
Ironically, Llewellyn had Indy’s first shorthanded goal last weekend, which was assisted by Martin.
Ryan Cox put the K-Wings back in front 3-2 at the 2:56 mark of the third after taking a Jermaine Loewen backhand pass from the blue line and sending a wrister just inside the left post. Mark Cheremeta earned a secondary assist for his first professional point.
Colin Bilek tied the game 3-3 at 14:26, with Ty Farmer and Thomas Farrell both picking up helpers.
The contest headed to overtime, where Okabe netted the deciding goal.
Zach Berzolla initiated a 2-on-1 sequence with a long stretch pass from the defensive zone to Cox, who fired a shot from the faceoff dot. Okabe slammed home the rebound from the left side of the goal mouth, and the K-Wings skated to the dressing room with a 4-3 victory.
Kalamazoo goaltender Ty Young stopped 23 shots to improve his record to 2-1-0-0. He also helped the K-Wings execute both of their penalty-kill opportunities.
The Wings move their record to 8-11-1-0 for the season, while Indy drops to 8-7-2-1. The two teams will face off again Sunday afternoon, this time in Kalamazoo in the second game of a home-and-home series. Puck drop is set for 3 Pm ET.