EVANSVILLE, Indiana – Josh Shalla's late third period goal proved to be the game-winner as the Cincinnati Cyclones (17-14-0-4) defeated the Evansville IceMen (11-22-2-2) by a 4-3 final score in front of 9,391 at Ford Center on Saturday night.
The Cyclones got on the board first at the 11:17 mark of period one when Steven Hodges slammed a loose puck through Chris Driedger (L, 27 saves, 7-16-1-1) from the low slot, making it 1-0 Cincinnati. Unfortunately, the IceMen would respond minutes later at 13:53 as Mark Anthoine tucked in the game-tying strike past Sam Brittain (W, 25 saves, 9-6-0-1, 2.82 GAA) after a tape-to-tape feed from Patrick Kennedy. The teams would remain deadlocked after 20 minutes.
The IceMen grabbed their first lead of the night at the 12:13 mark of the middle frame during a power play when Colin Murray lit the lamp on a rebound in the slot. The Cyclones would respond quickly, however, as Geoff Irwin cut out of the corner and sniped home his seventh goal of the season at 13:45 to pull the Cyclones even two through two periods of play.
The final period saw the back-and-forth battle continue; midway through, Joe Basaraba potted a big rebound during Cincinnati power play to briefly give his team the 3-2 cushion. But as they had before, the IceMen found the equalizer; at 14:21, Brandon Martell's point shot redirected off of a defender and past Brittain to knot things again, this time at three. Fortunately, the Cyclones would pull back out in front for good moments later, at 16:57 when Josh Shalla lifted a shot over Driedger's shoulder and in for the go ahead, and eventual game-winning, goal to make it 4-3. It was Shalla's first game winner of the season and tenth of his Cyclones career as they held on to win by the one goal margin.
After an off-day on Sunday, the Cyclones will return to the Ford Center to close out the first half of the season with another battle against the Evansville IceMen at 8:15pm ET! Fans can hear all the action of the game on the Cyclones Radio Network beginning at 7:55pm ET and WATCH live at the Game Time Sports Bar & Grill in Cheviot!
The Cyclones will be back on the ice at U.S. Bank Arena on Friday, January 23 when they play host to the Evansville IceMen! The Cyclones will honor Jimmy Buffett as the first 2,000 fans will receive a Cyclones beach towel. Plus, the Cyclones will wear specialty jerseys that night and auction them off after the game!! Call 513.421.PUCK to secure your seats and for more details. Fans can also get the latest team updates throughout the season on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram!
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Shalla Sends Cyclones to 4-3 Win
