For Immediate Release: February 22, 2017
Game 54 (Home Game 28)
Vs. Wichita Thunder (15-30-3-1, 34pts)
Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 7:35pm ET
U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH
Overview: Cincinnati has won eight of their last 10 games and are coming off of a 3-2 win over the Kalamazoo Wings on Monday morning. The Cyclones are continuing to climb the ladder in the ECHL’s South Division and currently sit five points back of the fourth and final divisional playoff spot.
Monday Morning Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (26-23-4-0) earned a 3-2 win over the Kalamazoo Wings on Monday morning. Forwards Tommy Mele and Christiaan Minella, along with defenseman Jaynen Rissling recorded the goals for the Cyclones, who return the favor to the Wings after Kalamazoo beat Cincinnati in the Cyclones’ Field Trip game back in November. It was another busy night for Cyclones goaltender Michael Houser who turned aside 37 of the 39 shots he faced to collect his eighth win in the last nine starts.
Sunday Afternoon Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (25-23-4-0) defeated the Ft. Wayne Komets, 5-4 in a shootout, on Sunday afternoon. Forwards Shane Walsh, Justin MacDonald, and Brandon McNally, along with defenseman Jonathan Diaby netted the goals for the Cyclones. Cincinnati was outshot, 34-21, with goaltender Michael Houser stopping 30 in the win.
Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (24-23-4-0) earned a 2-1 win over the Quad City Mallards on Friday night. Forwards Seth Ambroz and Nick Huard scored the goals for the Cyclones, who snap their two-game skid. The Cyclones were outshot, 36-28 on the night, with Cyclones goaltender Michael Houser stopping 35 to collect the win.
Previewing Wichita: The Thunder enter Wednesday having dropped seven straight in regulation, and are 0-11-2-0 in their last 13 games. Wichita has been in some close games on their current skid, as seven of their 13 losses have been decided by two or fewer goals, and nine by three or fewer. Rookie forward Matt DeBlouw leads all active Thunder players with 29 points (11g, 18a) through 42 games this season. He is followed by forwards Louick Marcotte (10g, 15a) and David Friedmann (11g, 11a) who round out the top three. In goal, Scott Greenham leads the way with an 8-8-2-0 record along with a 3.42 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.
Inside the Series: Wednesday marks the second-of-three meetings this season between the Cyclones and Thunder, with Cincinnati taking a 4-3 decision back on January 4. This will be the third all-time meeting between the two, with Cincinnati holding a 2-0-0-0 edge.
Next Game Preview: The Cyclones and Thunder wrap up their three-game season series on Friday night at 7:35pm ET.
HEADLINES
Climbing the Ladder: The Cyclones are 8-2-0-0 in their last 10 games and sit just five points back of the fourth and final playoff spot in the ECHL’s South Division. The offense has been on display for Cincinnati over the last 10 games, having outscored the opposition 33-29 in that time, including 30-17 in their eight wins.
The Puck Stops Here: Goaltender Michael Houser has put together some stellar play as of late, posting a 8-1-0-0 record along with a 2.49 goals-against average and a .930 save-percentage in his last 10 games. He’s been busy in recent games as well, making 27 or more saves in eight of his last nine starts. He recently had a five-game winning streak where he posted a 1.97 GAA and a .943 SV%.
In the Nick of Time: Forward Nick Huard scored the game winning goal with 1:24 left in regulations in Friday’s 2-1 win over the Quad City Mallards. He followed up that performance with a two-assist performance in Sunday’s 5-4 shootout win over the Ft. Wayne Komets, and added one more helper in Monday’s 3-2 win over the Kalamazoo Wings. He is currently riding a three-game point streak (1g, 3a) and has accounted for six goals and nine assists in his last 15 games overall.
Power Surge: The Cyclones went 2-for-6 on the power play in Sunday’s 5-4 shootout win over the Ft. Wayne Komets, and have converted on 13 of their last 44 man-advantage opportunities over the last seven games (29.5%).
Tommy Two-Tone: Forward Tommy Mele recorded his first two-goal game of the season in Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to Quad City, and followed that up with a goal in Sunday’s 3-2 win over the Kalamazoo Wings. He now has 13 points (7g, 6a) through 23 games this season, and Wednesday marked Mele’s first points since returning from an injury that sidelined him for over a month.
That’s Offensive!: Forward Jordan Sims has been a man on a mission in recent games, accounting for four goals and 10 assists in his last 11 games. . He dished out four assists in last Saturday’s 5-4 overtime win over the Ft. Wayne Komets, which followed his first pro hat trick in last Wednesday’s 5-1 win over the Elmira Jackals.
Putting Up the Points: Forward Brandon McNally has points in seven of his last nine games, totaling four goals and three assists in that time.
It’s Good to be Home: After playing 11-of-12 games on the road in January, the Cyclones play 12-of-16 at home in February. The Cyclones are 16-7-4-0 at home this season, averaging 3.11 goals per game on in their first 27 home games. Cincinnati also boasts the League’s fifth- best penalty kill at home, having killed of 69/79 oppositional power plays (87.3%).
Defensive Front: The Cyclones currently boast one of the top defenses in the ECHL, as they currently rank sixth in both goals allowed per game with 2.96 and shots allowed with 30.00 allowed per 60 minutes.
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!
