By Jack Ziskin

KALAMAZOO, MI. — Taos Jordan starred with one goal and two assists, but it wasn’t enough for Jacksonville, as the Icemen fell 6-5 in overtime to the Wings. The game marked the first ever meeting between the two clubs. 

David Jankowski scored a shorthanded goal and added an assist on the game-tying goal in the 3rd period.

Craig Martin and Logan Cockerill also found the back of the net. Michael Bullion made 29 saves on 35 shots for the Icemen.

On the other side, Andre Ghantous scored the overtime winner for the Wings. Kylor Wall and Zack Okabe each added a goal and an assist for Kalamazoo. David Keefer, Josh Bloom, and Evan Dougherty scored for the Wings.

Aku Koskenvuo made 38 stops on 43 shots for Kalamazoo.

A bad bounce put the Icemen behind the sticks early in the 1st period. Wall dumped the puck in, it hopped off the wall to Keefer, who fired it into the yawning cage at 4:56 in the 1st period to make it 1-0 Wings.

Jankowski answered the bell with a shorthanded goal at 12:12 in the first frame. Jordan made a lead pass to Jankowski, who came in on a breakaway and ripped low-blocker to beat Koskenvuo.

46 seconds later, Bloom put the Wings back up by one with a power-play marker. Okabe entered the Icemen zone, drifted to the right wing dot as he shot, and Bloom streaked in to bury it. Jackson Kunz got the secondary assist for Kalamazoo.

26 seconds later Martin responded with a goal of his own to tie it. Jordan and Jed Pietila added assists on the goal.

Jordan scored at 2:55 of the 2nd period to make it 3-2 Jacksonville. Ryan Pitoschia and Nathan Burke, who were buzzing all over the ice in Kalamazoo, picked up assists.

Dougherty responded at 10:24 in the second stanza to make it 3-3. Jayden Lee and Hunter Strand added assists on the play.

Cockerill cashed in to give the Icemen a 4-3 lead   with 42 seconds remaining in the middle frame. Cockerill forced a turnover down low and slid it to Jacques Bouquot, who gave it right back to Cockerill to snipe glove side from the slot.

Wall crashed the net to tie the game at 2:20 in the 3rd period, with Keefer and Ghantous picking up helpers on the play.

Kalamazoo reclaimed the lead behind a goal from Okabe at 6:40. Kunz and Ryan Cox added assists.

Dalton Duhart went to the net and buried it on the backdoor at 15:10 to make it a 5-5 game. Jankowski and Holden Wale picked up assists.

Ghantous went end-to-end, dangled past an Icemen defender, and went backhand-forehand to end it at 5:07 of overtime to secure the 6-5 win for the Wings. Nolan Walker and Collins Saccoman getting assists on the game-winner.

The two teams meet on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.