Walleye fall to Kalamazoo in shootout
12/11/2011The Walleye led Kalamazoo throughout most of a Sunday afternoon game at the Huntington Center but Toledo ultimately lost 5-4 in a shootout.
The Walleye had leads of 3-1 in the second period and 4-2 with 12:01 left but they could not hang on. Kalamazoo tied it with 5:38 left in regulation and sent it to overtime.
After a scoreless OT, each team scored two times in the first round of the shootout. But the Wings got the win when Dean Strong scored and their goalie Maxime Clermont stopped Brian Matte in the second round of the shootout.
Rookie forward Aaron Lewicki scored twice, Brian Matte tallied his first goal of the season and David Toews scored in the third for Toledo.
But the Walleye (9-12-1) dropped their third straight after consecutive losses to Cincinnati on Friday and Saturday.
Lewicki scored two goals in the in the opening period on Sunday. Lewicki, a native of Livonia, Mich., scored on consecutive shots in the first period to give Toledo a 2-1 lead.
Matte then put the Walleye up 3-1 in the second period before an announced crowd of 4,607. Toews gave Toledo a 4-2 lead with 12:01 left. But the Wings tallied two unanswered goals and Mike Matczak’s goal sent it to overtime.
Christopher DiDomenico also had two assists for Toledo and goalie Thomas McCollum (1-4-1) finished with 30 saves.
Kalamazoo (14-7-2) got two goals from Steven Anthony and Clermont finished with 31 saves.
The Walleye outshot the Wings 35-34.
Toledo’s next four games are on the road and the team doesn’t play at home until after Christmas. The Walleye host Chicago on Dec. 27.