For Immediate Release: December 20, 2015
Game 25 (Road Game 12)
Vs. Wichita Thunder (7-17-0-2)
Sunday, December 20, 2015 - 6:05 pm ET
INTRUST Bank Arena- Wichita, KS
Overview: The Cyclones finish up their three-game road trip on Sunday evening against the Wichita Thunder. Cincinnati is coming off of a heart breaking loss to the Missouri Mavericks on Saturday night, and is looking to snap a three-game road losing streak.
Last Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (12-8-2-2) fell to the Missouri Mavericks, 3-2, on Saturday night. Forward Seth Ambroz, and defenseman Cody Carlson scored the goals for the Cyclones, who controlled much of the final 40 minutes of play. The Cyclones were outshot, 34-31, on the night, with goaltender Neil Conway stopping 31 of the shots he faced in the loss. Cincinnati’s power play was held scoreless on all three attempts.
Friday Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (12-7-2-2) fell to the Missouri Mavericks, 5-2, on Friday night. Forwards Andrew Yogan and Jack Downing scored the lone goals for the Cyclones, who fall in the first of three games this weekend. The Cyclones outshot Missouri, 27-26, on the night, while the power play converted on two-of-three chances.
Last Saturday Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (12-6-2-2) picked up a 6-4 win over the Evansville IceMen on Saturday night. Forward Andrew Yogan netted a pair of goals, while forwards Jack Downing, Seth Ambroz, Branden Gracel and Joe Wilson potted lone tallies for the Cyclones. The Cyclones outshot Evansville on the night, 28-25, while the power play was held scoreless on all three chances.
Previewing Wichita: The Thunder currently sit at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, accounting for 16 points (7-17-0-2) through their first 26 games. They have lost eight of their last nine games, and are coming off of a 3-2 shootout loss on Saturday night to the Tulsa Oilers; the team that they beat the night previous, 3-2 in overtime. They are led offensively by Andrew Huff (6g, 7a) and Peter Sakaris (4g, 9a) who each have 13 points, followed by Landon Oslanski (4g, 8a).
Inside the Series: This is the first all-time meeting between the two sides, and will be the lone regular season matchup between the Cyclones and Thunder.
Next Game Preview: The Cyclones are in Evansville on the day after Christmas to take on the IceMen. Cincinnati and Evansville spilt a home-and-home series last weekend, with both teams winning on their home ice. Next Saturday will mark the fourth of nine meetings between the Cyclones and IceMen this season.
TOP STORYLINES
Power Supply: The Cyclones have risen to second of the League’s power play rankings, converting on 23.3% (20/86) of their man-advantage opportunities. Both goals scored in Friday night’s 5-2 loss to the Missouri Mavericks came via the power play. Forward Nick Huard leads the team with 10 power play points (6g, 4a), while forwards Jack Downing (4g, 4a) and Zach Budish (1g 7a) are tied for second.
Racking Up the Points: Forward Andrew Yogan has made an instant impact since coming back from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL). He recorded an assist in last night’s 3-2 loss to the Missouri Mavericks, and has accounted for four goals and five assists in seven games since returning from the AHL, recording multi-point efforts in four of those contests.
We Huard He Was Pretty Good: Rookie forward Nick Huard (pronounced HEARD) continues to pile up the points for the Cyclones. After being held off the scoresheet for a season-high three games late in November, Huard has points in six of his last eight games played, accounting for four goals and six assists in that span. He currently leads the Cyclones, and is fifth in League rookie scoring with 23 points (8g, 15a), and has multi-point efforts on seven occasions this season, which is also a team-high.
First for the Kid: Forward Seth Ambroz had reason to celebrate following last Saturday’s 6-4 win over the Evansville IceMen. The New Prague, MN, native tallied his first career pro-hockey goal in win. Ambroz has split time between the Cyclones and Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League (AHL) this season, appearing in 16 total games, and accounting for two goals and 33 penalty minutes, along with a +3 on-ice rating.
Defensively Offensive: Defenseman Steve Weinstein has been a staple on the scoresheet all season long for the Cyclones. With an assist in last night’s 3-2 loss to Missouri, he now has points in eight of his last 11 games played (1g, 10a), and leads the Cyclones in defenseman scoring, totaling three goals and 13 assists through 24 games this season.
The Road Ahead: The Cyclones are getting ready to log a ton of bus miles over the next month, with 11 of the team’s next 18 games on the road. The road hasn’t been too kind to Cincinnati this season, as the Cyclones have compiled a 3-7-1 record away from U.S. Bank Arena. Despite the struggles on the road, the Cyclones are averaging 3.18 goals per game in road contests.
The 2015-2016 season is underway! Your Cyclones are on the march towards another Kelly Cup Championship, and want you along for the ride! Be sure to check out one of our 2015-16 Ticket Packages, available NOW! Call 513.421.PUCK to reserve your seats. Fans can also get the latest team updates on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), Instagram, and our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!