For Immediate Release: March 4, 2017
Game 60 (Home Game 33)
Vs. Adirondack Thunder (29-16-6-4, 68pts)
Saturday, March 4, 2017 - 7:35pm ET
U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH
Overview: Cincinnati enters Saturday night winners of four of their last five games, following Thursday’s victory over the Adirondack Thunder. The win leapfrogged the Cyclones over the South Carolina Stingrays into the fourth and final playoff spot in the ECHL’s South Division.
Thursday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (30-25-4-0) collected their 30th win of the season on Thursday night, taking down the Adirondack Thunder, 2-0. Forwards Jordan Sims and Tommy Mele scored the goals for the Cyclones, while goaltender Joel Rumpel was perfect on the night, stopping all 46 shots he faced to earn his second shutout of the season.
Tuesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (29-25-4-0) took down the Toledo Walleye, 3-2, on Tuesday night. Forwards Dominic Zombo, Justin MacDonald, and Shawn O’Donnell tallied the goals for the Cyclones, who snapped Toledo’s seven-game winning streak. The Cyclones were outshot, 28-20 on the night, with goaltender Michael Houser stopping 26 in the win.
Sunday Afternoon Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (28-25-4-0) fell to the Kalamazoo Wings, 6-2, on Sunday afternoon. Forwards Brandon McNally and Dylan Nowakowski tallied the lone goals for the Cyclones. The Wings outshot Cincinnati, 34-23 on the afternoon, with goaltender Michael Houser stopping 28 in the loss.
Previewing Adirondack: The Thunder have dropped two in a row after a three-game winning streak, following Thursday’s 2-0 loss to the Cyclones. Adirondack is in the thick of the North Division playoff race, holding down the third spot and sitting just four points back of Brampton for first place. The Thunder have seen success on the power play this season, currently ranking fourth in the League with a 22.7% conversion rate (52/229). They are led offensively by forward Peter MacArthur who has totaled 43 points (16g, 27a) through 50 games played. He is followed by forwards Greg Wolfe (14g, 23a) and forward James Henry (14g, 22a) who round out the top three. In goal, Mason McDonald leads the way with an 11-9-2-3 record along with a 2.75 goals-against average and an .893 save percentage.
Inside the Series: Saturday will be the second and final meeting of the season between Cincinnati and Adirondack, and just the third all-time meeting between the two teams with Cincinnati winning the first meeting last season in November.
Next Game Preview: The Cyclones head out west to begin a six-game road trip starting Friday night in Idaho against the Idaho Steelheads. This will mark the first meeting between Cincinnati and Idaho since the they met in the 2010 Kelly Cup Finals, when Cincinnati defeated the Steelheads, 4 games to 1, to claim their second Kelly Cup title.
NEED-TO-KNOW
Oops, He Did It Again!: Goaltender Joel Rumpel collected his second shutout in as many starts on Thursday night, stopping all 46 shots he faced in Cincinnati’s 2-0 win over the Adirondack Thunder. He pitched his first shutout of the season on February 24 against Wichita, stopping all 27 shots sent his way Cincinnati’s 2-0 win over the Thunder. Rumpel has a record of 2-3-0-0, along with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.
Climbing the Ladder: The Cyclones have won seven of their last nine games, and are 12-4-0-0 in their last 16 games overall. Cincinnati currently holds fourth and final playoff spot in the ECHL’s South Division, and are only five points back of second. The offense has been on display for Cincinnati over the last 16 games, totaling 46 goals and outscoring the opposition 40-21 in their 11 wins.
Starting to Simmer!: Forward Jordan Sims is riding a four game point streak, totaling a goal and three assists in that time. Overall, Sims has five goals and 13 assists in his last 16 games.
It’s Good to be Home: The Cyclones are 20-8-4-0 at home this season, averaging 3.00 goals per game on in their first 32 home games. Cincinnati also boasts the League’s second-best penalty kill at home, having killed of 83/94 oppositional power plays (87.6%).
Power Surge: The Cyclones power play has played a major role recently, having converted on 15 of their last 57 man-advantage opportunities over the last 10 games (26.3%).
Return of the Mac: Forward Justin MacDonald has points in three of his last four games, accounting for a pair of goals and an assist in that time, along with a plus-2 on-ice rating.
Defensive Front: The Cyclones currently boast one of the top defenses in the ECHL, as they currently rank fifth in goals allowed per game with 2.92 and seventh in shots allowed with 30.05 allowed per 60 minutes.
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!
