For Immediate Release: February 14, 2016
Vs. Evansville IceMen (18-23-4-1, 41 PTS)
Sunday, February 14, 2016 - 7:15pm ET
Ford Center - Evansville, IN
Overview: The Cyclones head down to Evansville riding a season-long three-game winning streak. Cincinnati is coming off of a 2-0 win over the IceMen last night, marking the second shutout of the season for the Cyclones. Sunday’s game is also the third game in three days for both teams, and also marks the back end of a home-and-home series between Cincinnati and Evansville.
Last Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (24-19-3-2) collected their third straight win, with a 2-0 victory over the Evansville IceMen on Saturday night. Forwards Nick Huard and Zach Budish scored the goals for the Cyclones, while netminder Andy Iles earned his first shutout of the season. Cincinnati outshot Evansville, 35-31 on the night, and neither team recorded a penalty in the game, marking the lowest-combined penalty total for the Cyclones this season.
Friday Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (23-19-3-2) earned a 6-5 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets on Friday night. Forward Nick Huard tallied a pair of goals, while forwards Mike Hammond, Jack Downing, and Tommy Mele, along with defenseman Brett Wysopal added lone markers for the Cyclones. The Cyclones outshot the Komets, 37-29 on the night, with goaltender Brandon Whitney turning aside 24 to collect the win. Cincinnati’s power play was a deciding factor in the game, converting on three-of-seven chances.
Wednesday Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (22-19-3-2) earned a 4-1 win over the Kalamazoo Wings on Wednesday night. Forward Zach Budish collected a pair of goals, while defensemen Andrew Blazek and Garrett Noonan each added lone tallies for the Cyclones. . The Cyclones outshot the Wings, 34-23 on the night, with goaltender Andy Iles stopping 22 to collect his fifth win as a Cyclone.
Previewing Evansville: The IceMen enter Saturday night winners of three of their last four games. Forward Nathan Moon leads the way with 33 points (10g, 23a), followed by forward Daultan Leveille (17g, 13a), and forward Tyson Fawcett (17g, 11a) who round out the top three.
Inside the Series: Sunday is the sixth of nine meetings between the two sides this season, with the Cyclones holding a 3-2-0-0 lead in the season series.
Next Game Preview: The Cyclones head to Quad City on Friday to battle the Mallards, in the first of two games on the weekend. Friday will be the fifth of 11 matchups this season between Cincinnati and Quad City, with the Cyclones holding a 2-1-1-0 edge in the first four meetings.
Hot Hand Huard: Forward Nick Huard recorded the game-winner in Saturday’s 2-0 win over the Evansville IceMen, giving him three goals in his last two games. He is currently ninth in ECHL rookie scoring, accounting for 34 points (14g, 20a).
First for Andy: Goaltender Andy Iles turned aside all 31 shots he faced in last night’s 2-0 win over the Evansville IceMen, marking his first shutout of the season. Iles has appeared in 10 games for the Cyclones since being claimed off of waivers from the Kalamazoo Wings, posting a 6-4-0-0 record, along with a 2.39 goals-against average, and a .914 save percentage.
Milestone for Budish: With an assist in Friday’s 6-5 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets, forward Zach Budish now has 100 points for his pro hockey career. Since turning pro in 2013, the 2009, second round NHL Draft pick of the Nashville Predators has appeared in 188 games with the Cyclones and Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL), accounting for 39 goals and 52 assists. He scored in last night’s 2-0 win over the Evansville IceMen, and also had a pair of goals and two assists in Wednesday’s 4-1 win over the Kalamazoo Wings, which set a season-high for points in a game.
League Leader: With a goal in Friday night’s 6-5 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets, forward Jack Downing now leads the ECHL with 23 goals on the season. Downing has been amongst the top scorers on the Cyclones all season long, ranking second on the team with 38 points (23g, 15a).
Cyclones Acquire Binkley and Mulvey: The Cincinnati Cyclones acquired defenseman Jason Binkley from the Utah Grizzlies in exchange for future considerations, and forward Colin Mulvey from the South Carolina Stingrays in exchange for future considerations. Binkley appeared in 43 games with the Grizzlies this season, accounting for a goal and six assists, along with 19 penalty minutes. Currently in his second professional season, the 5’9”, 196-pound defenseman spent seven games with the South Carolina Stingrays at the end of last season, totaling a goal and an assist. Mulvey returns for his second-career stint with the Cyclones, after appearing in 37 games with the South Carolina Stingrays this season. The Worcester, MA, native ranked sixth on the Stingrays in scoring, accounting for 11 goals and 11 assists, and he was fourth on the team with a plus-10 on-ice rating. He spent last season with the Erding Gladiators in Germany, where he totaled 52 points (29g, 23a) in 40 games played, and split the 2013-2014 season between the Wheeling Nailers and the Cyclones, skating in 38 games overall, including seven in Cincinnati where he recorded a pair of goals and three assists.
And Down the Stretch They Come!: Last night’s 2-0 win over Ft. Wayne marked the 19th time this season that Cincinnati has won a game when leading after two periods. The Cyclones are 19-1-0-0 when leading heading into the third period, and are a perfect 15-0-0-0 at home when leading through 40 minutes.
The 2015-2016 season is underway! Your Cyclones are on the march towards another Kelly Cup Championship, and want you along for the ride! Be sure to check out one of our 2015-16 Ticket Packages, available NOW! Call 513.421.PUCK to reserve your seats. Fans can also get the latest team updates on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), Instagram, and our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!
