For Immediate Release: November 24, 2017
Game 15 (Home Game 6)
Vs. Wheeling Nailers (10-3-2-0, 22 PTS)
Friday, November 24, 2017 - 2:35pm ET
U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH
Overview: Cincinnati snapped their brief two-game skid on Wednesday night with a 1-0 win over the Toledo Walleye. The Cyclones are in the midst of a three game in four day stretch which concludes on Saturday in Ft. Wayne against the Komets.
Wednesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (8-5-1-0) edged out the Toledo Walleye, 1-0 on Wednesday night, in front of 7,917. Forward Justin Danforth netted the lone goal of the game, while Cyclones goaltender Anthony Peters stopped all 18 shots for his first shutout of the season. The Cyclones were outshot, 18-17 on the night, with both teams going scoreless on the power play.
Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (7-5-1-0) fell to the Toledo Walleye, 3-2, on Saturday evening. Defenseman Geoff Fortman and forward Jesse Schultz scored the goals for Cincinnati. The Walleye outshot Cincinnati, 34-18 on the night, with goaltender Anthony Peters stopping 31 in defeat.
Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (7-4-1-0) fell to the Toledo Walleye, 6-2, on Friday night. Forwards Dominic Zombo and Alex Kile scored the goals for Cincinnati. Toledo outshot the Cyclones, 27-15 on the night, with goaltender Jason Kasdorf stopping 21 in the loss.
Previewing Wheeling: The Nailers enter Friday winners of four of their last five games, and are coming off of a 4-3 shootout win over the Worcester Railers on Tuesday night. Wheeling’s offense has been on display in recent games, outscoring the opposition 22-16 in that span, and scoring five or more on three occasions. The power play has been effective for the Nailers as well, currently converting at a League-best 27.8% clip (22/79). Offensively, Wheeling is second in the ECHL, averaging 4.27 goals per game. They are led by forward Cody Wydo who is third in the League with 13 goals and 21 assists through 15 games. He is followed by a pair of 19-point scorers in forwards Reid Gardiner (11g, 8a) and Garrett Meurs (10g, 9a). In goal, Sean Maguire has carried the bulk of the load, posting a 7-2-0-0 record along with a 3.54 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.
Inside the Series: Wheeling and Cincinnati have split the first two games of their six-game season series, and Friday will be the first meeting at U.S. Bank Arena. The sides met four times in 2016-17 with Cincinnati victorious in three.
Next Game Preview: The Cyclones head to Ft. Wayne to take on the Komets on Saturday night. The Cyclones earned a 3-2 overtime win over the Komets back on October 27, and will meet six more times after Saturday night.
NEED-TO-KNOW
Squeaky Clean: Cyclones goaltender Anthony Peters stopped all 18 shots he faced in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over the Toledo Walleye, earning his first shutout of the season, and the seventh clean sheet of his career. He currently ranks seventh in the League with a 2.38 goals-against average, and has faced 25 or more shots in six of his last seven outings.
Filling the Net: The line of Justin Danforth, Shawn O’Donnell, and Jesse Schultz have led the Cyclones offensively this season, accounting for 41 points (17g, 24a) through the first 14 games this season. O’Donnell leads the team in scoring with 16 points (6g, 10a), and has three goals and eight assists in his last nine games. Danforth is having a stellar first full pro season, currently ranking seventh in League rookie scoring with 13 points (7g, 6a). He has eight points over his last seven games (5g, 3a), including his first pro hat trick in a 4-1 win over the Florida Everblades back on November 8. Schultz’s 12 points (4g, 8a) ties him for third on the team in scoring, and he is also tied for the team lead with a plus-5 on-ice rating.
Cyclones Add Trecapelli: The Cyclones have claimed defenseman Nick Trecapelli off waivers from the Indy Fuel, and have signed him to a Standard Player Contract (SPC). A native of Guelph, ON, Trecapelli has appeared in seven games this season between the Fuel and Adirondack Thunder. He split last season between he Atlanta Gladiators and Wichita Thunder, appearing in 41 games and accounting for four goals and 10 assists. He turned pro late in the 2015-16 season, skating in nine games between the Evansville IceMen and AHL’s Binghamton Senators, recording a goal. He played collegiately at the University of Guelph from 2012-2016 amassing 65 points (3g, 18a) in 101 career games.
Movin’ On Up: Last Thursday, defensemen Arvin Atwal and Eric Knodel have each signed Professional Tryout agreements (PTO) with Cincinnati’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Atwal has skated in all 11 of Cincinnati’s games this season, accounting for a goal and three assists along with 23 minutes in penalties in that time. The Delta, BC, native appeared in 39 games last season and accounted for a pair of goals and 15 assists. Despite being sidelined for the final 33 games of the season, Atwal posted a team-high plus-11 on-ice rating, and ranked third on the team with 98 minutes in penalties. Knodel is coming off his first career hat trick in Tuesday morning’s 5-2 win over the Quad City Mallards, and currently ranks second on the Cyclones in scoring with 12 points (5g, 7a). This season’s team captain skated in 58 games with the Cyclones in 2016-17 and led the team in defenseman scoring with eight goals and 20 assists, and was tied for third with a plus-seven on-ice rating. He was one of the ECHL’s top defensemen at the midway point of the season, and for his efforts he was awarded a spot in the 2017 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic in Glens Falls, NY. He also took part in the All-Star Hardest Shot competition, where he finished in second place with a shot of 96mph.
Hats Off: Cyclones captain Eric Knodel scored his first career hat trick last Tuesday morning, making him the second Cyclone in three games to accomplish that feat. Forward Justin Danforth scored his first pro hat trick in a 4-1 win over the Florida Everblades on November 8. Knodel is now second on the team in scoring with five goals and seven assists, while Danforth is right behind him in third with six goals and five helpers.
New Affiliation: This offseason, the Cyclones, in conjunction with the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Buffalo Sabres, announced a new affiliation agreement. For Cincinnati, the move comes following a 10-year partnership with the Nashville Predators, while the Sabres recently concluded a two-year relationship with the now-defunct Elmira Jackals. This affiliation will be a reunion of sorts for the cities of Cincinnati and Buffalo, as the Sabres’ American Hockey League (AHL) Affiliate from 1971-1974 was the Cincinnati Swords. The Rochester Americans will serve as Cincinnati’s new AHL affiliate, and have been the AHL affiliate of the Sabres since 2011. This is not the first time Cincinnati and Rochester have been affiliated, as the two clubs teamed up in 2010-11 when the Americans were affiliated with the Florida Panthers.
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