For Immediate Release: April 16, 2016
Quarterfinals, Game 2 vs. Ft. Wayne Komets
Saturday, April 16, 2016 - 7:30 pm ET
War Memorial Coliseum - Ft. Wayne, IN
Overview: The Cyclones picked up a win in Game 1, and now lead the Western Conference Quarterfinal series, 1-0, over the Ft. Wayne Komets.
Game 1 Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones collected a 3-2 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets, in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals on Friday night. Forward Tommy Mele netted a pair of goals, while forward Jack Downing chipped in one for the Cyclones. Goaltender Brad Thiessen stopped 33 of the 35 shots he faced to help lift the Cyclones to the win. The Cyclones and Komets meet again on Saturday night, in Game 2 of the best-of-seven series. Faceoff is scheduled for 7:30pm ET.
Series Overview: The Cincinnati Cyclones begin their quest for a third ECHL Kelly Cup championship with a first round meeting against the Division rival Ft. Wayne Komets. The Cyclones and Komets met 10 times during the regular season, with Cincinnati compiling a 5-4-1-0 record. Neither team was able to find an offensive edge, as both sides were tied, 33-33, in goals scored. This will be the eighth time since returning to the ECHL prior to the 2006-2007 season that the Cyclones will be participating in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Cincinnati won the Kelly Cup in 2008 and again in 2010, and made a third trip to the Kelly Cup Finals in 2014.
Season Series Recap: The 2015-16 regular season series between the Cyclones and Komets was about as close as it could have been, as both teams won five games of the 10-game series. The Cyclones had the advantage in the first five games of the season, posting a 3-1-1-0 record while outscoring Ft. Wayne, 16-10. The Komets managed to even up the series in the second half of the season, posting wins in three of the final five meetings, and holding a 23-17 edge in goals scored.
In Cincinnati: Seven of the 10 meetings, including four of the final five, took place at U.S. Bank Arena with Cincinnati coming away with victories in three of those contests (3-3-1-0). The Komets held a slight offensive advantage over the Cyclones, outscoring Cincinnati 25-21.
In Ft. Wayne: Even though there were only three games played in Ft. Wayne this season, the Cyclones had a decided advantage over the Komets. Cincinnati picked up wins in two of the three contests while outscoring Ft. Wayne, 11-6, including a combined 10-2 in the first two meetings back on October 31 and November 26.
Playoff History: This marks the second time the Cyclones and Komets will meet in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The two sides clashed in the 2014 Eastern Conference Semifinals, with Cincinnati taking the best-of-seven series, 4 games to 2. The Cyclones went on to lose in the Kelly Cup Finals to the Alaska Aces that season, 4 games to 2.
Players to Watch- Cincinnati:
F Jack Downing- The 2015-16 ECHL co-goal scoring champion had a career season for the Cyclones, leading the team and ranking seventh in the League with 64 points (32g, 32a) in 72 games played this season. The New Canaan, CT, native posted six goals and six assists against Ft. Wayne this season to lead all players, and recorded points in nine of the 10 games played against Ft. Wayne.
F Zach Budish- The 24-year-old came in second on the Cyclones in scoring, accounting for 24 goals and 34 assists for 58 points, in 69 games this season. Like Downing, he also saw success against the Komets, recording four goals and dishing out six assists in 10 games against Ft. Wayne.
F Nick Huard- Huard was one of the top power play producers in the ECHL this season, leading the league with 15 power play goals, and ranking sixth overall in League rookie scoring with 52 points (21g, 31a),including 24 (15g, 9a) while on the man advantage.
F Shawn Szydlowski- The 2015-16 All-ECHL Second Team selection paced the Komets and ranked third in the League with 75 points (25g, 50a) in 62 games played. He was also tied for the team lead with a plus-23 on-ice rating. In 10 games against Cincinnati, Szydlowski registered four goals and six assists.
F Mike Embach- The former Cyclone has seen quite a bit of success against his former team, accounting for 25 points (15g, 10a) in 22 career games with the Komets against Cincinnati. This season, he totaled 10 points (6g, 4a) in 10 games against Cincinnati, and ranked second on the team overall with 23 goals and 30 assists.
G Pat Nagle- Nagle shouldered the bulk of the load this season for the Komets, posting a mark of 28-12-7-1 along with a 2.36 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. He led the ECHL with five shutouts, and his 28 wins placed him fourth amongst League goaltenders.
TOP STORYLINES
Career Years: A number of Cyclones reached personal bests in terms of offensive production this season. Forwards Jack Downing, Zach Budish, and Tommy Mele saw career highs in all three major statistical categories, with Downing recording 32 goals and 32 assists for 64 points, while Budish recorded a stat line of 24 goals and 34 assists for 58 points. Mele was a midseason addition to the Cyclones, coming to Cincinnati in mid-January in a trade with the Norfolk Admirals. In 74 games between the Admirals and Cyclones, Mele was responsible for 27 goals and 25 assists for 52 points. Also reaching a new personal best was forward Christiaan Minella, who potted a career-high 14 goals, and tied his career-high with 22 points.
The Kids Are Alright: The Cyclones’ rookie corps were a very important part to Cincinnati’s success this season. Overall, Cyclones rookies accounted for 55 goals and 102 assists for 157 points. Forward Nick Huard led the way, ranking sixth in League rookie scoring with 52 points (21g, 31a), followed by forwards Peter Quenneville (11g, 15a), and Joe Wilson (11g, 14a) who round out the top three rookie scorers on the team.
Down the Stretch they Come: The Cyclones were lights out this season when entering the third period with a lead, posting a record of 30-1-0-1 when leading after 40 minutes of play. The Cyclones also enjoyed their highest offensive production in the third period, outscoring teams 82-68 in the final frame, including 52-38 in the last 10 minutes of regulation.
Single Game Playoff Tickets On Sale: The Cincinnati Cyclones have announced that single game tickets for the first round of the 2016 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs are now on sale. The Cyclones will be hosting Game 3 and Game 4 of the first round, as well as Game 5 if necessary. Game 3 is scheduled for Wednesday, April 20, while Game 4 and Game 5 will be played on Friday and Saturday, April 22 and 23, respectively. All games will start at 7:35pm ET at U.S. Bank Arena. The team has also announced a pair of promotions for the first round of the playoffs, including $1 beers for Game 3, and $1 John Morrell hot dogs for Game 4. Cyclones playoff tickets start at $16.00 for rows two and higher, and $29.50 for all first row seats.
Cyclones Announce Playoff Ticket Packages: The Cincinnati Cyclones have announced ticket packages for the upcoming 2016 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs. Cyclones playoff packages start at $256 per seat and include all 16 potential playoff games. Current 36-game full-season ticket holders already have games one and two of the 2016 playoffs included in their season ticket packages, therefore 14-game plans are available starting at $224 per seat. Single game tickets will be announced at a later date, once the Cyclones officially clinch a spot in the 2016 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Cyclones currently hold down fifth place in the ECHL’s Western Conference. Under the current ECHL playoff format, the top eight teams from both the Eastern and Western Conference receive playoff berths, and all rounds are a best-of-seven format with a potential of four rounds in total.
The 2016 Kelly Cup Playoffs are upon us! YOUR Cyclones are on the march towards another Kelly Cup Championship, and want you along for the ride! Be sure to get your single game tickets, or check out one of our 2016 Kelly Cup Playoff 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!
