For Immediate Release: January 11, 2017
Game 34 (Home Game 19)
Vs. Quad City Mallards (18-13-0-2, 38pts)
Wednesday, January 11, 2017 - 7:35pm ET
U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH
Overview: The Cyclones are riding a four-game winning streak into their lone home game for the month of January on Wednesday night against the Quad City Mallards. Cincinnati picked up their first overtime win of the season on Sunday in Wheeling against the Nailers, and are now 7-3-0-0 in their last 10 games played.
Sunday Night Recap: Sunday Afternoon Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (16-13-4-0) picked up a 3-2 overtime win over the Wheeling Nailers on Sunday afternoon. Forward Jaynen Rissling tallied a pair of goals including the overtime winner, while forward Shane Walsh added a lone marker for the Cyclones. Cincinnati was outshot by the Nailers, 31-19 on the night, with Cyclones goaltender Mark Visentin stopping 29 to collect the win.
Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (15-13-4-0) shutout the Quad City Mallards, 4-0, on Friday night. Forward Brandon McNally led the way with a pair of goals and an assist, along with a fight to cap off the “Gordie Howe Hat-Trick”, while forward Shane Walsh added a goal and a pair of helpers, and forward Nick Huard chipped in a lone goal for the Cyclones. Goaltender Mark Visentin had a stellar night as well, stopping all 25 shots he faced to earn his first shutout of the season.
Wednesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (14-13-4-0) collected a 4-3 win over the Wichita Thunder on Wednesday night. Forward Jordan Sims netted a pair of goals, while forwards Peter LeBlanc and Colin Mulvey pitched in lone tallies for Cincinnati. The shots were tied on the night, 28-28, with goaltender Mark Visentin making 25 saves in the win.
Previewing Quad City: The Mallards have dropped four in a row, including last Friday’s 4-0 loss to the Cyclones, and are coming off of a 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Ft. Wayne Komets on Saturday night. Quad City has been struggling to find the offense in recent games as they have been outscored 18-5 on their current four-game skid. They are led by forward Sam Warning who has totaled 27 points (11g, 16a) in 33 games this season, followed by forwards Justin Kovacs (8g, 17a) and Alex Petan (11g, 12a) who round out the top three. Team goals leader Michael Parks is fifth on the Mallards in points, however his 13 goals are tied for second amongst League rookies.
Inside the Series: Cincinnati shut out Quad City, 4-0 back on Wednesday, and this will be the seventh of nine meetings this season with Cincinnati holding a 3-2-1 edge in the series.
Next Game Preview: Cincinnati hits the road for eight straight beginning on Saturday in Atlanta against the Gladiators. The Cyclones dropped the first meeting, 6-5 in overtime back on November 18, and Saturday’s game will be the second and final meeting this season between Cincinnati and Atlanta, and just the second of five total games against the South Division for Cincinnati this year.
News and Notes:
BLING BLING!: The ECHL has announced that Cincinnati Cyclones goaltender Mark Visentin has been named CCM ECHL Goaltender of the Week for January 2-8. The 24-year-old led Cincinnati to a perfect 3-0-0 record last week while registering a 1.65 goals-against average along with a .940 save percentage. Visentin’s big week began in Wichita on Wednesday where he turned aside 25 of the 28 shots he faced in a 4-3 win over the Thunder. He followed that up with a perfect 25-for-25 outing in Friday’s 4-0 shutout win in Quad City over the Mallards for his first shutout of the season. He capped off his monster week with a 29-save performance in Sunday’s 3-2 overtime road win over the Wheeling Nailers. A native of Waterdown, ON, Visentin has skated in 15 games with the Cyclones this season. He has a record of 8-5-1-0 along with a 2.71 GAA and a .902 SV%. His 2.71 GAA currently ranks tenth amongst League goaltenders.
He’s on FIRE!: Forward Shane Walsh had a monster week last week for Cincinnati, accounting for a pair of goals and five assists along with a plus-5 on-ice rating in three games, and has recorded four goals and six assists over his last seven games. He scored a goal and an assist in Sunday’s 3-2 overtime win over the Wheeling Nailers, which followed a three-point performance (1g, 2a) in Friday’s 4-0 win over Quad City. His monster week kicked off with a pair of assists and in Wednesday’s 4-3 win over the Wichita Thunder. He now has five goals and 10 assists in 15 games with Cincinnati since being traded from the Utah Grizzlies in late November.
He Can Do It All: Defenseman Jaynen Rissling was moved up to forward for Cincinnati’s three games last week and made an immediate impact, accounting for a pair of assists in Wednesday’s 4-3 win in Wichita over the Thunder, before turning out a two-goal performance in Sunday’s 3-2 overtime win over the Wheeling Nailers, including the game-winner. Rissling is enjoying career highs in goals (4), assists (7), and points (11).
Stingy Defense: The Cyclones enter the week ranked fourth in the ECHL with 2.82 goals allowed per game, despite allowing 25 or more shots in nine of the last 10 games.
Power Surge: The Cyclones have scored a power play goal in four straight games, converting on four of 18 chances (22.2%) in that span.
Return of the Mac: Forward Brandon McNally has been a major offensive contributor in recent games, accounting for three goals and three assists in his last four games played. He recorded a three-point performance (2g, 1a) in Friday’s 4-0 win over the Quad City Mallards, and has accounted for points in seven of his 10 games overall (6g, 6a).
He’s a Brick...HOUSE!: Goaltender Michael Houser had a stellar month of December, posting a 6-2-0-0 record along with a 1.61 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage. He was charged with making 25 or more saves on six separate occasions, and allowed one goal in five of his eight games played. Currently, Houser ranks third in the ECHL with a 2.31 GAA and fourth with a .925 save percentage.
The Road Ahead: The Cyclones will be spending a lot of time on the road in the coming weeks, with eight of the next nine games coming away from U.S. Bank Arena. The Cyclones are 7-8-0-0 on the road this season while averaging 2.80 goals per game.
Get Ahead, Stay Ahead: The Cyclones enter the week with an 13-1-3 record when leading after one period and a 14-1-2 mark when leading after 40 minutes.
Knodel Named to ECHL All-Star Team: The ECHL has announced the participants for the upcoming 2017 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic, presented by I LOVE NY, and amongst the players named to the team is Cyclones defenseman Eric Knodel. The midseason exhibition will take place on Wednesday, January 18, in Glens Falls, NY, and will feature the host Adirondack Thunder against the ECHL All-Stars. A native of West Chester, PA, Knodel is fifth on the team in scoring with four goals and 11 assists through 30 games this season. He is also tied for the team lead with a plus-8 on-ice rating. The 2017 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic, presented by I LOVE NY, will feature the host Adirondack Thunder taking on the ECHL All-Stars in a non-traditional format featuring 5-on-5, 4-on-4, and 3-on-3 play, as well as a Skills Competition (Puck Relay, Hardest Shot, Fastest Skater) to highlight the talents of both teams. The game will also air LIVE exclusively on NHL Network.
The 2016-17 season is underway, and the Cincinnati Cyclones want you along for the ride as they march towards another Kelly Cup Championship! 2016-17 single game tickets and packages along with group and Season Ticket Packages are available NOW! Call (513) 421-PUCK to reserve your seats. Fans can also get the latest team updates on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!
