Six Fish score in game three win over Wings

KALAMAZOO, MI – The Toledo Walleye defeated the Kalamazoo Wings 6-2 on Wednesday night at the Wings Event Center in game three of the Central Division Semifinals.

What Happened:

The Walleye used a full team effort to down the Wings and claim a 3-0 series advantage.

John Lethemon started in net for the Walleye. Jacob Graves and Riley McCourt manned the blue line while Brandon Hawkins, Trenton Bliss and Mitch Lewandowski led the attack.

Hunter Vorva split the iron for the host Wings. Jacob Nordqvist and Chad Nychuk manned the defense while Erik Bradford, Josh Passolt and Quinn Preston filed out the Kalamazoo front.

The game was quiet for nearly the first five minutes until a flurry of goals came down.

Kalamazoo started the scoring at 4:56 when Preston found the net with Passolt and Nordqvist adding assists.

The Wings then came right back down and scored again at 5:22, making it 2-0 Wings. Jordan Seyfert hit twine, with Jack Olmstead and Evan Dougherty adding helpers.

The Walleye responded quickly with their first goal at 5:35, the fourth of the series by Sam Craggs. Brady Gilmour and McCourt assisted the tally.

The Fish evened the game at 2-2 when Grant Gabriele found paydirt at 6:48. Riley Sawchuk and Michael Prapavessis assisted the equalizer.

The Walleye pulled in front at 15:58 when Graves lit the lamp. McCourt and Brandon Kruse assisted the go-ahead score.

That wrapped the first period action with the Walleye leading the Wings 3-2. Toledo outshot Kalamazoo 15-7 in the period.

The Walleye added to their lead at 5:28 when Sawchuk found the net for the third time in the series. Prapavessis and Kruse added their second assists of the night to make it 4-2.

The Fish extended their lead to 5-2 when Hawkins struck twine at 7:48. Lewandowski and Bliss added helpers to the score.

That closed a big second period for the Fish with the Walleye leading the Wings 5-2. Toledo outshot Kalamazoo 16-12 in the second period and 31-19 through two periods.

The Walleye tacked on one more score in the third period as Bliss added an empty-netter at 17:19. Lewandowski and Hawkins picked up assists on the empty-netter.

That wrapped game three of the Central Division Semifinals with the Walleye claiming a 6-2 win over the Kalamazoo Wings. Toledo was outshot 5-12 in the period, but outshot Kalamazoo 36-31. The win pushes the Walleye to a 3-0 series advantage.

Three Stars Sponsored by Local 245:

1. Riley Sawchuk (1G, 1A) – TOL
2. Jacob Graves (GWG) – TOL
3. John Lethemon (W, 29/31 SV)

What’s Next:

The Toledo Walleye will return to Kalamazoo for game four of the Central Division Semifinals on Friday, April 26, 2024, at Wings Event Center with puck drop coming at 7:00 pm ET.