For Immediate Release: April 2, 2016
Game 70 (Home Game 36)
Vs. Toledo Walleye (44-19-2-3, 93 PTS)
Saturday, April 2, 2016 - 7:35 pm ET
U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH
Overview: The Cyclones wrap up the home portion of the 2015-16 schedule on Saturday night against the Toledo Walleye, in the final meeting between the two teams for the regular season. The Cyclones will officially compete in the hunt for the Kelly Cup this postseason, despite a 5-3 loss at the hands of the Evansville IceMen last night, by way of holding the regulation/overtime wins tiebreaker over the Tulsa Oilers. Cincinnati holds the seventh spot, trailing both the Colorado Eagles and Utah Grizzlies by one point, and ahead of the Quad City Mallards by five points.
Last Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (35-25-5-4) fell to the Evansville IceMen, 5-3, on Friday night. Forward Nick Huard tallied a pair of goals, while defenseman Cody Carlson chipped in one for Cincinnati. The Cyclones outshot the IceMen in shots on goal by a 51-25 margin, with 20 saves from goaltender Andy Iles in the loss. Despite the loss, the Cyclones have clinched a spot in the 2016 Kelly Cup Playoffs by way of the Tulsa Oilers falling to the Quad City Mallards Friday night.
Thursday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (35-24-5-4) displayed an offensive explosion on Thursday night, scorching the Indy Fuel by a final of 6-1. Forwards Branden Gracel, Christiaan Minella, Jack Downing, Tommy Mele, and Nick Huard, along with defenseman Brett Wysopal, had the goals for the Cyclones, who can clinch a spot in the playoffs with a win and a Tulsa Oilers loss on Friday. The Cyclones were outshot by Indy, 27-29, with goaltender Andy Iles stopping 28 shots in the victory.
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.
Previewing Toledo: The Walleye come to Cincinnati on a two-game winning streak, after holding off Manchester for a 5-4 victory last night in Toledo, and have won six of their last ten games. Toledo leads the Eastern Conference in points with 93, and has clinched a top-three seed and the North division title. Forward Shane Berschbach leads the team and is 4th in the ECHL in points on the season with 67 (24g, 43a), while forwards A.J. Jenks (22g, 23a) and Tyler Sikura (16g, 28a) round out the top three scorers for Toledo.
Inside the Series: The teams will meet for the fifth and final time this regular season. Cincinnati took down Toledo last Saturday on the road, and the Cyclones hold a 3-0-0-1 edge in the season series. The Cyclones knocked off Toledo by a score of 4-1 at their place last Saturday, with the previous games all at home before the calendar changed to 2016.
Next Game Preview: The Cyclones will finish out the 2015-16 regular season schedule on the road, heading to Quad City next weekend for a two-game series. Cincinnati holds a 5-3-0-1 record over the Mallards this season, most recently splitting a weekend series in Cincinnati on March 11-12, with a 3-1 win and a 3-2 loss.
TOP STORYLINES
Playoff Bound: By way of holding a tiebreaker over the Tulsa Oilers, the Cyclones clinched a berth in the 2016 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs. This will be the eighth time since returning to the ECHL prior to the 2006-2007 season that the Cyclones will be participating in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Cincinnati won the Kelly Cup in 2008 and again in 2010 and made a third trip to the Kelly Cup Finals in 2014. Cincinnati can still finish as high as the #2 seed or as low as the #8 seed in the Western Conference.
Down-ing in Front: By way of his goal in Thursday night’s 6-1 win over the Indy Fuel, forward Jack Downing moved into a tie for fifth-most goals in a single season in Cyclones history with Thomas Beauregard (31g, 2007-08) with 31. With three games left in the regular season, Downing still has the opportunity to move up on the list, as Jean-Michel Daoust, (32g, 2006-07) is just ahead of the New Canaan, CT native. Downing also has amassed 230 shots on goal this season, which is the second-most in a season in team history, behind Beauregard’s 275 total in 2007-08.
Huard it Through the Grapevine: In his previous seven games, forward Nick Huard is certifiably on fire with eleven total points on four goals and seven assists, with all four goals coming in the last three games. Huard’s impact on the team has been invaluable throughout the season, especially on the man-advantage. A part of the Cyclones’ top power-play unit, Huard has tallied 15 power-play goals, tops in the ECHL, and a total of 24 power-play points, good for second in the ECHL.
Cyclones Add Two: On Monday, the Cincinnati Cyclones announced that forwards Brett Ferguson and Levko Koper had 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. In his first three games with the Cyclones, Koper has two assists and five shots.
Wrapping up the Home Schedule: The final home game of the 2015-16 regular season will be against the Toledo Walleye on Saturday. Saturday is also Fan Appreciation Night, 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!
