GAME NOTES: 2-12 vs. Toledo

GAME NOTES: 2-12 vs. Toledo

For Immediate Release: February 12, 2017

 

                                                                                                           

Game 49 (Road Game 24)

Vs. Toledo Walleye (32-12-2-1, 67pts)

Sunday, February 12, 2017 - 5:15pm ET

Huntington Center - Toledo, OH

 

Full Game Notes

 

Overview: The Cyclones head to Toledo on Sunday afternoon fresh off of a 5-4 overtime win over the Ft. Wayne Komets on Saturday. Cincinnati overcame a 2-0 deficit to pick up their fifth straight win, and sit three points back of the fourth and final playoff spot in the South Division. 

Last Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (23-21-4-0) earned a 5-4 overtime win over the Ft. Wayne Komets on Saturday night. Forward Nick Huard tallied a pair of power play goals, while forwards Shane Walsh, Dylan Nowakowski, and Shawn O’Donnell each netted lone markers for the Cyclones.The Cyclones were outshot, 32-28 on the night, with goaltender Michael Houser stopping 28 in the win.

Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (22-21-4-0) earned a 2-0 victory over the Elmira Jackals on Friday night, completing the two-game sweep. Forwards Christiaan Minella and Brandon McNally potted the goals for Cincinnati, while goaltender Michael Houser was impenetrable on the night, stopping all 28 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season.

Wednesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (21-21-4-0) climbed back to .500 with a 5-1 win over the Elmira Jackals on Wednesday night. Forward Jordan Sims recorded his first-career hat trick, with forwards Andrew Yogan and Dylan Nowakowski adding lone tallies for the Cyclones, who collect their third win in a row. Cincinnati outshot the Jackals 33-24 on the night, with goaltender Michael Houser stopping 23 in the win.

Previewing  Toledo: The Walleye have lost five in a row and seven of their last nine heading into Sunday afternoon’s contest, and  are coming off of a 5-4 overtime loss to the Brampton Beast on Saturday night. Special teams has been a key to Toledo’s success, as they lead the League in power play conversion percentage with a 23.9% rate (47/197). They are also eighth in the League on the penalty kill, having killed off 119 of 141 oppositional power plays (84.4%). The Walleye  sport the League’s best offense accounting for 4.04 goals per game. They are led by forward Tyson Spink who has accounted for 50 points (21g, 29a) through 47 games. He is followed by forward Shane Berschbach (9g, 39a) and his twin brother Tylor Spink (16g, 30a) who round out the top three. In goal, Jake Paterson has shouldered the bulk of the load posting a 22-9-1 record along with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. 

Inside the Series: Sunday afternoon marks the third of five games between the two sides this season, with the Walleye taking two of the first five games of the season series. Sunday’s game also marks the lone contest in Toledo for the Cyclones this season. 

Next Game Preview: Cincinnati returns home on Wednesday to take on the Quad City Mallards in the eighth of nine meetings this season. The Cyclones have had the Mallards’ number this season, posting a 4-1-2-0 record in the first seven games. 

 

HEADLINES

That’s Offensive!: Forward Jordan Sims has been a man on a mission in the last seven games, accounting for four goals and nine assists in that time. He dished out four assists in Saturday’s 5-4 overtime win over the Ft. Wayne Komets, which followed his first pro hat trick in Wednesday’s 5-1 win over the Elmira Jackals. 

The Puck Stops Here: Goaltender Michael Houser collected his fifth-straight win in Saturday’s 5-4 overtime decision over Ft. Wayne. He’s been a busy man over that time as well, stopping 24 or more shots in each one of those contests. He earned his second shutout of the season in Friday’s 2-0 over the Elmira Jackals, and has a 1.97 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage during his current winning streak. 

They Grow Up So Fast: Rookie forward Dylan Nowakowski potted his fourth goal in five games in Saturday’s 5-4 overtime win over the Ft. Wayne Komets. The rookie forward has appeared in 17 games for the Cyclones this season, and has totaled four goals and an assist, along with a plus-7 on-ice rating. 

Power Surge: The Cyclones went 2-for-5 on the power play in Saturday’s 5-4 overtime win over the Ft. Wayne Komets, and have converted on 10 of their last 32 man-advantage opportunities over the last seven games (31.2%). 

Lighting it Up: Forward Nick Huard had both Cyclone power play goals in Saturday’s 5-4 overtime victory against Ft. Wayne. He has been enjoying some offensive success as of late accounting for five goals and six assists in his last 10 games, and he has points in 12 of his first 17 games in the new year (8g, 8a). 

Cyclones Announce Roster Moves: The Cincinnati Cyclones have acquired the rights for forward Justin MacDonald from the Kalamazoo Wings, in exchange for cash considerations. MacDonald has spent the bulk of this season with the Evansville Thunderbolts of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) where he led the team in scoring with 24 points (9g, 15a) in 26 games. He also skated in three games with the Indy Fuel, however did not register a point. A native of Newmarket, ON, MacDonald spent the bulk of the previous two seasons with the Evansville IceMen, accounting for 15 goals and 18 assists in 55 games.  The 26-year-old turned pro in 2011 and has played much of his career in the SPHL where he has totaled 84 points (36g, 48a) in 150 games.  In a separate move, forward Andrew Yogan has returned to HC Bolzano in Italy, and has been placed on suspension by the Cyclones. The move is an unfortunate yet necessary one for the Coral Springs, FL, native, as in order to be eligible to play for another International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) sanctioned club team past this season, Yogan must finish out this season with Bolzano, per the language in his contract with them.  Yogan has appeared in 30 games with Cincinnati this season and has recorded a team-leading 15 goals along with 17 assists for 32 points. He spent the first 10 games of this season with HC Bolzano, tallying a goal and six assists.

Green Light from the Blueline: The Cyclones received some major offensive contributions from their defensive corps in the last six games, combining for four goals and nine assists in that time. Leading the way is Saverio Posa with a goal and a pair of assists, while both Eric Knodel and Craig Dalrymple have each accounted for a goal and an assist. Arvin Atwal, Dan Johnston and Jaynen Rissling have dished out a pair of assists, while Jonathan Diaby has added a lone goal.

It’s Good to be Home: After playing 11-of-12 games on the road in January, the Cyclones are getting ready to embark on a 12-of-16 stretch on home ice in February. The Cyclones are 15-6-4-0 at home this season, averaging 3.12 goals per game on in their first 25 home games. Cincinnati also boasts the League’s third- best penalty kill at home, having killed of 65/74 oppositional power plays (87.8%). 

Defensive Front: The Cyclones currently boast one of the top defenses in the ECHL, as they currently rank fourth in goals allowed per game with 2.88 and fifth in shots allowed with 29.46 allowed per 60 minutes. 

Holding the Lead: The Cyclones have made a habit of holding onto leads this season, as they are 16-1-3-0 when leading after 20 minutes, and 19-1-2-0 when leading after two periods of play.

Stay Connected!:  Follow the latest news on Twitter (@CincyCyclones), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and more! Also, for all of the latest news and notes, head over to www.cycloneshockey.com.

 

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!