KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Kalamazoo Wings (11-11-0-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, used Erik Bradford’s hat trick and a second-straight two-goal game from Josh Passolt to defeat the Cincinnati Cyclones (10-9-1-0) at Wings Event Center Sunday, 7-5.
The K-Wings finished the week 4-0 with 27 goals scored, taking their first four-game sweep since Mar. 16 thru Mar. 20, 2022.
Erik Bradford (8) made the hats fly for the third time this weekend at the 10:42 mark of the third period. Tanner Sorenson (6) and Ty Glover (11) assisted the slot tap-in that clinched Bradford’s first career hat trick.
Cincinnati jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 2:40 mark of the first.
Bradford (6) tied the game at one at the 13:27 mark by deflecting in a Robert Calisti (8) shot from the point.
Kalamazoo’s alternate captain, Bradford (7), scored his second of the contest 35 seconds later with assists from Sorenson (5) and Glover (10). On the goal, Glover stole the puck at his own blue line and sprung the rush.
The Cyclones tied the game at two at the 17:48 mark on the power play.
Kalamazoo then exploded with four goals in the second and never looked back.
Josh Passolt (8) put Kalamazoo ahead 3-2 at the 9:36 mark of the middle frame by sending a juicy rebound home from the right circle. Chaz Reddekopp (2) and David Keefer (11) picked up helpers on the goal.
Derek Daschke doubled Kalamazoo’s lead at the 10:28 mark with a long-range snipe assisted by Justin Taylor (3) and Ted Nichol (1).
Passolt (9) scored his second goal of the game at the 14:18 mark by burying a nifty Cooper Walker (8) pass from the bottom of the left circle. Rookie blueliner Jacob Nordqvist (1) registered his first professional point with the secondary assist.
Connor Walters (1) made it 6-3 at the 15:26 mark by burying a shot from the right circle as the trailer on a delayed rush. Bradford (18) assisted Walters’ first goal as a K-Wing with an outstanding hustle play down the right wall.
Cincinnati made it 6-4 via the power play with one second remaining in the middle frame.
The Cyclones scored again at the 16:09 mark of the third on the power play and added an even-strength goal twelve seconds later to set the final score at 7-5.
Goaltender Hunter Vorva (3-4-0-0) made 22 stops to pick up his second win over Cincinnati this season.
The K-Wings finished the game scoreless on the power play, went 2-for-5 on the penalty kill and took the final shot total 32-27.
Kalamazoo is back in action Friday at 7:35 p.m. EST against Cincinnati at Heritage Bank Center.
Broadcast time on 590/106.9 WKZO is 7:10 pm.
THIS REPORT WRITTEN BY CHRIS CADEAU, VOICE OF THE K WINGS
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