For Immediate Release: March 20, 2018
Game 63 (Home Game 32)
Vs. Indy Fuel (30-29-3-1, 64 pts)
Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - 7:35pm ET
U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH
Overview: The Cyclones dropped their second-straight 4-1 decision om Sunday afternoon, falling to the Toledo Walleye. Cincinnati still has a six-point cushion in the Central Division Standings over the Kalamazoo Wings and Kansas City Mavericks. The Cyclones are currently in the midst of seven games in nine days, and Tuesday’s game marks the fourth of four straight games within the Central Division.
Sunday Afternoon Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (35-25-2-0) fell to the Toledo Walleye on Sunday afternoon, 4-1. Forward Jesse Schultz had the lone marker for the Cyclones. Shots in this game were tied, 27-27, with Cyclones goaltender Paul Berrafato stopping 23 in the loss.
Saturday 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.
Previewing Indy: The Fuel sit two points back of both the Kalamazoo Wings and Kansas City Mavericks for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Central Division, and are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Toledo Walleye on Saturday night. Indy’s success has been due in large part to their success on the power play, ranking first in the League in that category with a 21.8%conversion rate (52/239). Additionally, Indy has the tenth-ranked defense in the League with an average of 3.29 goals allowed per game. The Fuel, who are 19-1-1-1 when leading after two periods, are led offensively by forward Ryan Rupert who has totaled 45 points (15g, 30a) in 56 games, followed by forward and team goals leader Darian Dziurzynski who has 44 (22g, 22a). Team Captain Michael Neal rounds out the top three with 17 goals and 25 assists. In goal, Etienne Marcoux has a record of 16-11-0-1 with a 3.07 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage.
Inside the Series: Tuesday marks the ninth of 10 meetings between the Cyclones and Fuel this season. Indy has controlled the season series, posting a 2-5-1-0 record in the first eight games.
Next Game Preview: The Cyclones welcome in the Atlanta Gladiators on Thursday night for the first of two games between the two teams. Atlanta is in fourth in the ECHL’s South Division.
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 17 of their last 24 games, going 23-for-85 in that stretch (27%). 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 skated in his first pro game on Sunday afternoon, stopping 23-of-27 shots in Cincinnati’s 4-1 loss to the Toledo Walleye. He 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.
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.
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