For Immediate Release: March 31, 2016
Vs. Indy Fuel (31-33-3-0, 65 PTS)
Thursday, March 31, 2016 - 7:35pm ET
U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH
Overview: The Cyclones will do battle with the Indy Fuel on Thursday night, in the midst of a busy week, with four games in a span of five nights. Cincinnati currently occupies the sixth spot in the ECHL’s Western Conference playoff picture, but the standings are tight. The Cyclones trail the Utah Grizzlies in fifth by just one point, and cling to a one-point cushion on the seventh-place Colorado Eagles. The Midwest division title is not yet determined, but the Cyclones trail Ft. Wayne by seven points, with just five games remaining.
Tuesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (34-24-5-4) lost a tough back-and-forth affair to the Fort Wayne Komets on Tuesday night by a final tally of 5-3. Forwards Christiaan Minella, Jack Downing, and Nick Huard had the goals for the Cyclones, who now sit 7 points back of first-place in the division with just 5 games remaining in the regular season. The Cyclones had a wide advantage in shots-on-goal, 26-15, with goaltender Andy Iles only able to stop 10 of the 14 shots he faced in the loss.
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.
Previewing Indy: The Fuel currently sit outside the playoff picture, as they trail by seven points for the final berth in the ECHL’s Western Conference. Indy comes in to US Bank Arena winners of its last three games, which includes the two-game sweep of the Cyclones last week. The Fuel have only won four of their last ten games, however, as they head into the final weeks of the regular season. Forward Alex Lavoie leads the team in goals and assists, with 16 and 35, respectively, through 66 games played this season. He is followed by a pair of rookies in the top three, as forward Peter Schneider (15g, 21a) and defenseman Ben Marshall (11g, 23a) help lead the charge.
Inside the Series: Thursday night’s duel with the Fuel marks the eleventh and final matchup between the two teams this season. Indy was the victor in both meetings last Thursday and Friday in Indianapolis, and hold a 7-3-0-0 advantage after the first ten games of the series.
Next Game Preview: The Cyclones continue their busy week with their third game in four days, as they head to Evansville on Friday night. Cincinnati holds the edge in the season series, with a 5-2-0-1 record against the IceMen.
19 Going on Thirty: By way of his goal in Tuesday’s 5-3 loss to Ft. Wayne, forward Jack Downing has now amassed 30 goals for the Cyclones this season, which ties him for sixth-most in a single season in team history. With five games left in the regular season, Downing still has the opportunity tto move up on the list, with Thomas Beauregard, (31g, 2007-08) and Jean-Michel Daoust, (32g, 2006-07) just ahead of the New Canaan, CT native. Downing’s previous career high for goals in a season was 20 last year, between his time with the Cyclones and the Missouri Mavericks.
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.
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: The final two home games of the 2015-16 regular season are this week, as the Indy Fuel come to town on Thursday, followed by the Toledo Walleye on Saturday. The Cyclones will be featuring a number of special deals this week, including 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!
