For Immediate Release: March 29, 2016
Vs. Ft. Wayne Komets (37-21-6-2, 82 PTS)
Tuesday, March 29, 2016 - 7:35pm ET
U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH
Overview: The Cyclones return home for their final regular season meeting with the Ft. Wayne Komets on Tuesday night. Cincinnati currently sits in sixth place in the ECHL’s Western Conference playoff picture, just one point back of the Utah Grizzlies in fifth and three up on the Colorado Eagles in seventh. The Cyclones are still in the hunt for the Midwest Division title as well, as they are just five points back of Ft. Wayne.
Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (34-23-5-4) picked up a 4-1 win over the Toledo Walleye on Saturday night. Defenseman Andrew Blazek, and forwards Tommy Mele, Colin Mulvey, and Christiaan Minella scored the goals for the Cyclones, who snap their three-game losing streak. The Cyclones were outshot, 33-22 on the night, with goaltender Andy Iles stopping 32 to collect the win.
Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (33-23-5-4) fell to the Indy Fuel, 5-1, on Friday night. Forward Peter Quenneville tallied the lone goal for the Cyclones. Cincinnati outshot the Fuel, 48-27 on the night, with goaltenders Andy Iles and Brandon Whitney combining to stop 22 in the loss.
Thursday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones, (33-22-5-4) fell to the Indy Fuel, 4-3, in overtime on Thursday night. Forward Tommy Mele had two goals for the Cyclones, while forward Branden Gracel chipped in a lone marker. Indy outshot Cincinnati, 37-22 on the night, with goaltender Andy Iles stopping 33 in the loss.
Previewing Ft. Wayne: The Komets sit atop the ECHL’s Midwest Division, five points ahead of the Cyclones. The Komets have won two of the last three games, and are coming off of a 3-1 win over the Evansville IceMen on Saturday night. The Komets have earned points in nine of their last 11 games, with six of those being decided in overtime or a shootout. Forward Shawn Szydlowski leads all active skaters with 69 points (21g, 48a) through 56 games played this season. He is followed by forward Kyle Thomas (13g, 24a) and defenseman Jordon Southorn (9g, 28a) who round out the top three.
Inside the Series: Tuesday marks the season-series finale between the two teams, with Cincinnati holding a 5-3-1-0 edge in the series. This will be the seventh and final meeting of the season at U.S. Bank Arena, with each team winning three times on Cincinnati’s home ice.
Next Game Preview: Cincinnati wraps up their two-game homestand on Thursday night against the Indy Fuel. Indy took both meetings last Thursday and Friday in Indy, and the Fuel hold a 7-3-0-0 edge in the first 10 games of the 11-game season series.
Cyclones Add Two: The Cincinnati Cyclones have announced that forwards Brett Ferguson and Levko Koper have been signed to standard player contracts. The pair recently wrapped up their collegiate hockey careers at the University of Alberta, and helped lead the school to back-to-back Canadian national championships in 2014 and 2015. A native of Vibank, SK, Ferguson appeared in 27 games for the Golden Bears this season, ranking fourth on the team in scoring with seven goals and 21 assists. In five seasons at the University of Alberta, the 6’0”, 195-pound winger accounted for 38 goals and 80 assists for 118 points. Prior to college, Ferguson suited up in 15 games for the Utah Grizzlies during the 2011-12 season, accounting for a goal and an assist in that time. He also skated for the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League (WHL) from 2008-2011, appearing in 212 games over three seasons while totaling 43 goals and 81 assists. Koper ranked second on the Golden Bears in scoring this season, tallying 14 goals and 17 assists in 28 games played, while leading the team with a plus-22 on-ice rating. A native of Edmonton, AB, Koper skated 140 career games at the University of Alberta, accounting for 51 goals and 88 assists. Prior to his time with the Golden Bears, the 2009, seventh round draft pick of the Atlanta Thrashers played five seasons with the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL, amassing 97 goals and 129 assists in 330 games.
On the Plus Side: Cyclones rookie forward Joe Wilson currently ranks third amongst ECHL rookies with a plus-19 on-ice rating. The North Syracuse, NY, native is enjoying a productive first pro season, accounting for 25 points (11g, 14a) through 58 games played.
Career Highs: With a pair of goals and an assist in Thursday night’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Indy Fuel, forward Tommy Mele set new career highs in both goals and points He then added to his totals on Saturday, netting a goal and dishing out an assist in a 4-1 win over the Toledo Walleye, bringing his season total to 24 goals and 21 assist, for 45 points. He’s been one of Cincinnati’s top offensive producers over the last two months, accounting for 14 goals and 11 assists since joining the Cyclones in mid-January. The Bronx, NY, native has points in 13 of his last 16 games, totaling 17 points (9g, 8a) in that span.
ECHL Fantasy Team Jersey Auction: Thursday marks the final day to bid on forward Jack Downing’s ECHL Fantasy Team and goaltender Brandon Whitney’s Golden Goalie jerseys. Downing and Whitney were selected as the Cyclones Fantasy Team and Golden Goalie representatives, and wore the specially designed jerseys during the 6-5 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets on February 13. Fans can visit Fantasy Team Jersey Auction to place your bid.
Wrapping up the Home Schedule: This week marks the final three home games of the 2015-16 regular season, as the Ft. Wayne Komets come to town on Tuesday, followed by the Indy Fuel on Thursday, and the Toledo Walleye on Saturday. The Cyclones will be featuring a number of special deals this week, including $2 tall boys on Tuesday, Dollar Beer Night on Thursday, and Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday, which will feature $1 hot dogs, pizza, soda, and beer. There will be giveaways all night long on Saturday as well, and the team will be auctioning off their warm-up jerseys after the game.
Cyclones Announce Playoff Ticket Packages: The Cincinnati Cyclones have announced ticket packages for the upcoming 2016 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs. Cyclones playoff packages start at $256 per seat and include all 16 potential playoff games. Current 36-game full-season ticket holders already have games one and two of the 2016 playoffs included in their season ticket packages, therefore 14-game plans are available starting at $224 per seat. Single game tickets will be announced at a later date, once the Cyclones officially clinch a spot in the 2016 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Cyclones currently hold down fifth place in the ECHL’s Western Conference. Under the current ECHL playoff format, the top eight teams from both the Eastern and Western Conference receive playoff berths, and all rounds are a best-of-seven format with a potential of four rounds in total.
The 2016 Kelly Cup Playoffs are right around the corner! 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 2016 Kelly Cup Playoff 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!