For Immediate Release: August 30, 2016
TOP 10 TUESDAY
Counting Down the Top 10 Performances of the 2015-2016 Season
Cincinnati, OH- Our Top 10 Tuesday countdown rolls on with another write-up. Last week we counted down the Top Ten Games from last season, and today we will be counting down the Top 10 performances from a year ago.
10. March 4 AT Quad City- JACK DOWNING DISHES OUT FOUR ASSISTS IN BIG WIN
We start off our countdown with one of two four-point performances of the season. Jack Downing showed us last year that he was a complete package, leading the league with 32 goals and ranking in the top 25 with 32 assists. Four of those assists came in his lone four-point performance of the season; a four assist game back in early March against Quad City. The Cyclones jumped out to a 6-0 lead in that contest, with Downing assisting on three of the first four goals, including defenseman Jonathan Diaby’s first of the season and forward Joe Wilson’s tenth. He rounded out his monster evening by recording the primary assist on the final Cyclones’ tally of the evening. Cincinnati went on to take down the Mallards 6-2.
9. November 6 vs. Adirondack- JOE PENDENZA THREE-POINT NIGHT HELPS TAKE DOWN LAST UNBEATEN
The Adirondack Thunder were the final undefeated team in the ECHL at 7-0-0-0 when they came into U.S. Bank Arena. This games ranked 10th on our Top 10 Games countdown last week and this week we are revisiting this game to look at Joe Pendenza’s three-point performance. After the Thunder took a 1-0 lead midway through the first, Pendenza tied the game with six minutes left in the frame. He then assisted on the go-ahead tally a few minutes later. After a scoreless second, the Thunder tied the game with less than five minutes left. Pendenza put the Cyclones up for good with the eventual game-winner with 46 seconds left in the third. Cincinnati tacked on an empty netter to seal the 4-2 win.
8. February 10 vs. Kalamazoo- ZACH BUDISH FACTORS IN EACH GOAL OF CYCLONES WIN
The Cyclones’ other four-point performance came in another big win as Zach Budish potted a pair of goals and dished two assists in a 4-1 win over the Kalamazoo Wings. He led off the scoring midway through the first period, before assisting on defenseman Andrew Blazek’s first as a Cyclone midway through the second. Budish tacked on his second of the game early in the third and wrapped up his career-evening by helping out on defenseman Garrett Noonan’s tally in the final minute.
7. December 4 vs. Greenville- NICK HUARD’S TWO POWER PLAY TALLIES HELP THE CYCLONES TO THE WIN
It’s the first of back-to-back Nick Huard two-power-play goal performances. Last week, we highlighted this game as number three on our countdown of the Top 10 Games of last season, however this week we’ll be talking about the two power play markers that Huard had. After Greenville took a 2-0 lead early in the first, Huard notched his sixth of the season midway through the frame to cut the lead in half. The two sides traded goals all night long, however it was Huard who started the Cyclones’ final comeback in the third. He pulled Cincinnati to within a goal midway through the final period, 6-5, and the Cyclones tacked on two more including the winner in overtime, to take a 7-6 decision.
6. February 12 vs. Ft. Wayne- NICK HUARD GETS TWO ON THE POWER PLAY IN WIN OVER DIVISION-RIVAL
As we saw last week, Cincinnati and Ft. Wayne engaged in some exciting battles last season. This contest ranked fourth on our Top 10 Games list, but this week we will focus on one of the top performances of the night. Cyclones forward Nick Huard buried two of his League-leading 15 power play goals that evening. He put Cincinnati ahead, 4-2, 2:24 into the second period, however the Komets mounted a furious comeback, ultimately tying the game 5-5 with less than 10 minutes remaining in regulation. The Cyclones found themselves on the power play once more a couple of minutes later and Huard played the role of hero by netting the eventual game-winner in a 6-5 Cyclones win.
5. December 4 AT Greenville- RILEY WESELOWSKI NETS TWO TO LIFT CINCINNATI TO VICTORY
Let us take a third look in the last two weeks at one of the most exciting games of the season. Defenseman Riley Weselowski, aka The Mayor, is one of the most respected players in all of the ECHL, so if there was anyone deserving of a two-goal game it’s him. The Cyclones were fighting from behind all game long, but were always within striking distance. Weselowski’s first pulled Cincinnati to with in a pair late in the second, but it was his overtime game-winner that was the big one. Cincinnati scored two in a row late in the third and carried that momentum into overtime, and in the extra session forward Joe Wilson found The Mayor in front of the net, and he buried it to send the Cyclones to the win.
4. February 13 vs. Evansville- ANDY ILES RECORDS HIS FIRST CYCLONES SHUTOUT
No doubt one of the biggest stories from a season ago was the play of Andy Iles. Claimed off waivers in January, Iles helped keep Cincinnati in the playoff hunt for the entire second half of the year. He had a stellar month of February (more on that later in our countdown), which included his first shutout of the season. He stopped all 31 shots he faced, including 13 in the third period, to backstop the Cyclones to a 2-0 win over the Evansville IceMen.
3. January 3 AT South Carolina- BRANDON WHITNEY MAKE SEASON-HIGH 43 SAVES
Cincinnati had lost three of the previous four contests coming into this matchup, including the first of a weekend series with the South Carolina Stingrays. Brandon Whitney got the call on this Sunday afternoon, and the Stingrays threw everything they had at Whitney including 19 shots in the first period. The Stingrays continued to pepper Whitney, throwing 12 shots on goal in the second and 14 in the third. When the final horn blew, South Carolina had outshot the Cyclones, 45-28, with Whitney making 43 saves in a 4-2 win.
2. February 20 AT Quad City- JACK DOWNING SCORES TWO FOR 99TH AND 100TH CAREER GOALS
Jack Downing makes his second appearance on this week’s countdown with a career highlight that he’s not soon to forget. Sitting at 98 career goals, Downing wasted little time getting to 99 as just 3:47 into the first he lit the lamp to pull to within one of the century mark. Apparently, he just wanted to get number 100 over and done with because 1:21 later he found the back of the net again, this time on the power play, for his 100th professional goal and 25th marker on the season. Downing went on to lead all ECHL players with 32 goals on the season.
1. ANDY ILES’ STELLAR FEBRUARY EARNS HIM LEAGUE HONORS
Our countdown, our rules! So yes, Andy Iles’ entire month of February is our Top Performance from last season. As stated before, the acquisition of Iles was one of the biggest stories from last year. His dominance was on display in the month of February, posting an 8-3-0-1 record along with a 2.12 goals-against average and .927 save percentage in 12 games played, earning him ECHL Goaltender of the Month honors. Iles allowed three or fewer goals in 11 of his 12 starts in February, and had 10 outings of 25 or more saves. His month was highlighted by a 31-save shutout in a 2-0 win over the Evansville IceMen on February 13, and a perfect 27-for-27 performance in a 3-0 win over the Tulsa Oilers on February 24.
The countdown to the 2016-17 First Face-Off is underway! The Cyclones will return to U.S. Bank Arena on Saturday, October 15 when they host the Indy Fuel at 7:35pm. Between now and then, be on the lookout for several offseason events like Meijer Concrete Clones! Additionally, 2016-17 Season Ticket Packages are available NOW! Call 513.421.PUCK to reserve your seats. Fans can also get the latest team updates throughout the offseason on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!
