GAME NOTES: 3/18 vs. Toledo

GAME NOTES: 3/18 vs. Toledo

For Immediate Release: March 18, 2018

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Game 62 (Home Game 31)

Vs. Toledo Walleye (45-15-3-2, 95 pts)

Sunday, March 18, 2018 - 3:05pm ET

U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH

FULL GAME NOTES

 

Overview: The Cyclones wrap up their three-game weekend at home on Sunday against the division-leading Toledo Walleye. Cincinnati fell on Saturday night to the Kalamazoo Wings, trimming their lead to six points in the Central Division Standings. 

Last Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (35-24-2-0) fell to the Kalamazoo Wings, 4-1, on Saturday night. Forward Daniel Muzito-Bagenda netted to lone goal for the Cyclones, who see their two-game winning streak snapped. Kalamazoo outshot the Cyclones, 39-24, with goaltender Jason Kasdorf stopping 35 in the loss.

Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (35-23-2-0) took down the Indy Fuel, 6-1, on Friday night. Forwards Daniel Muzito-Bagenda and Shawn O’Donnell each collected two goals, while forwards Justin Vaive and Alex Kile each chipped in lone tallies. The Fuel outshot Cincinnati, 41-38 on the evening, with netminder Jason Kasdorf stopping 40 in the win.

Last Sunday Afternoon Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (34-23-2-0) earned a 3-2 win over the Brampton Beast on Sunday afternoon. Forwards Justin Vaive, Shawn O’Donnell, and Daniel Muzito-Bagenda tallied the goals for Cincinnati, who snap their two-game skid. The Cyclones were outshot, 41-23, on the afternoon, with goaltender Jason Kasdorf steering aside 39 in the win. 

Previewing Toledo.: The Walleye currently boast the best record in the ECHL, sitting seven points ahead of the Ft. Wayne Komets the Central Division, and three points up on the Florida Everblades for top spot in the League. Toledo has won three in a row and seven of their nine games played in March, and are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Indy Fuel on Saturday night. They currently boast the League’s second-best defense, allowing 2.34 goals per game while scoring a seventh-best 3.33 goals per game. Additionally, they rank third on the penalty kill at 86.9%, and fourth on the power play at 19%. They are led offensively by forward Tyler Barnes who has accounted for 19 goals and 30 assists through 59 games this season. He is followed by team goals leader Kyle Bonis (24g, 23a) and forward Mike Borkowski (17g 26a) who round out the top three. In goal, Pat Nagle has appeared in 43 games with a 32-4-3-1 record along with a 2.22 goals-against average and a.923 save percentage. 

Inside the Series: Sunday afternoon marks the seventh of eight meetings between the Cyclones and League-leading Walleye this season, with Toledo emerging victorious in four of the first seven. The teams will meet on March 31 to wrap up Cincinnati’s home schedule.

Next Game Preview: Cincinnati continues its four-game home stand on Tuesday against the Indy Fuel in the ninth of 10 meetings this season. The Fuel have controlled the season series, posting a 2-5-1-0 record in the first eight games. 

 

 NEED-TO-KNOW

Deuces Wild: Both Daniel Muzito-Bagenda and Shawn O’Donnell lit the lamp twice in Friday’s 6-1 win over the Indy Fuel. For Muzito-Bagenda, they were his second and third goals since returning last Sunday from his American Hockey League (AHL) stint with the Rochester Americans. He also netted the only Cyclones goal in Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Kalamazoo Wings. For O’Donnell, his markers were his third and fourth since returning from the Hartford Wolf Pack. 

The Puck Stops Here: Goaltender Jason Kasdorf stopped 40 of the 41 shots he faced in Friday’s 6-1 win over the Indy Fuel, and has won three of his last four starts. He has earned wins in six of his last nine starts, allowing two or fewer goals in five of those victories. 

Power Surge: The Cyclones have at least one power play goal in 16 of their last 23 games, going 23-for-82 in that stretch (28%). They also have the second-ranked power play unit in the League overall with a 20.3% power play conversion rate (48/235), and are tied with the Fuel for the top home power play unit at 25% (28/112).

Cyclones Add Berrafato: The Cyclones have signed goaltender Paul Berrafato to a Standard Player Contract (SPC).  A native of Williamsville, NY, Berrafato recently completed a successful collegiate career at the College of Holy Cross where he boasted a record of 46-45-19 record over four seasons. His 2.27 career goals against average are rank him first in program history, while his six shutouts place him second, Additionally, he is tied for second all-time with a .915 save percentage.  He was also teammates with Cyclones forward Mike Barrett during his freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons.  His junior hockey career saw him skate in 117 games over four seasons with the United States Hockey League’s (USHL) Muskegon Lumberjacks and the Amarillo Bulls of the North American Hockey League (NAHL). He posted a 65-25-15 record a GAA of under 2.20 in two of his four junior seasons.

Running the Gauntlet: Cincinnati has a hectic schedule over the next couple of weeks, playing their next five games over a stretch of seven days, and eight in the next 14. The Cyclones will play their final 10 games over the next 22 days. 

Cincinnati Signs Prapavessis: The Cyclones have signed defenseman Michael Prapavessis to an Amateur Tryout Agreement (ATO). He was a fourth-round draft pick by the NHL’s Dallas Stars in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. A native of Oakville, ON, Prapavessis just completed a successful collegiate career at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) where he accounted for 62 points (7g, 55a) in 154 career games. He also served as team captain during his senior season, and was teammates with Cyclones goaltender Jason Kasdorf during his freshman and sophomore seasons. He played junior hockey for the Toronto Lakeshore Patriots of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) where he totaled seven goals and 55 assists in 72 games played over parts of two seasons.  His brother, Matt Prapavessis, currently plays for the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits. 

Finishing What They Started: The Cyclones have a 24-1-0-0 record when leading through two periods this season. This is a continuing trend from last season, when the Cyclones were 23-1-3-1 when leading after one, and 26-1-2-0 when leading after 40 minutes. 

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.

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

 

The 2017-18 season is underway, and the Cincinnati Cyclones want YOU along for the ride! Call (513) 421-PUCK for information regarding Cyclones single game tickets, ticket packages, and Season and Group Tickets! Also, stay on top of the latest team updates on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com