For Immediate Release: October 28, 2016
Game 5 (Road Game 2)
Vs. Manchester Monarchs (2-1-0-1,5 pts)
Friday, October 28, 2016 - 7:00pm ET
SNHU Arena - Manchester, NH
Overview: The Cyclones hit the road for a three-game series against the Manchester Monarchs beginning on Friday night. Cincinnati is coming off of their first win of the young season on Saturday against the Wheeling Nailers.
Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (1-3-0-0) collected their first win of the season, defeating the Wheeling Nailers, 2-1, on Saturday night. Defenseman Craig Dalrymple and forward Dominic Zombo tallied the goals for the Cyclones, while goaltender Michael Houser made 39 saves on 40 shots to collect the victory.
Last Tuesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (0-3-0-0) fell to the Toledo Walleye, 5-0, on Tuesday night. It marked the first shutout for the Cyclones since March 9, 2015. Cyclones netminder Mark Visentin stopped 26 of the 31 shots he faced.
October 15 Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (0-2-0-0) fell to the Indy Fuel, 2-1, on Saturday night at U.S. Bank Arena. Forward Dominic Zombo scored the lone goal for the Cyclones, who are swept in the weekend hone-and-home with Indy. The Cyclones outshot Indy on the night, 24-21, with netminder Mark Visentin stopping 19 in a losing effort.
Previewing Manchester: This is the second ECHL season for the Monarchs, who came in from the American Hockey League (AHL) prior to last season. The Monarchs were East Division champions a season ago, however fell in five games to the Adirondack Thunder in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. This season, they are led by former Cyclone Joe Pendenza (3g, 2a), Daniel Ciampini (2g, 3a), and Matt Leitner (1g, 4a) who each have five points on the young season. In goal, Colin Stevens has shouldered the bulk of the load for Manchester, posting a 2-0-0-0 record along with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage in three games played.
Inside the Series: This weekend marks the first all-time meetings between Cincinnati and Manchester. Last season, Cincinnati took on the Adirondack Thunder and Norfolk Admirals who also came over from the American Hockey League (AHL) prior to last season, and posted a 1-2-0-0 record in those contests.
Next Game Preview: Cincinnati and Manchester continue their three-game weekend series on Saturday night in Manchester.
TOP STORYLINES
Milwaukee Trades Doherty and Robinson: On Monday, Cincinnati’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Milwaukee Admirals traded the contracts of defenseman Teddy Doherty and forward Eric Robinson to the Springfield Falcons for defenseman Adam Pardy. Robinson had one goal through four games with Cincinnati, while Doherty skated in three games.
Cyclones Add Two: On Tuesday, Cincinnati Cyclones Head Coach Matt Macdonald has announced forward Tommy Mele and defenseman Frank Misuraca have been signed to Standard Player Contracts (SPC) for the 2016-17 season. Acquired in a mid-January trade from the Norfolk Admirals last season, Mele was an offensive catalyst for Cincinnati in the second half, accounting for 32 points (17g, 12a) in 37 games following the trade. In 74 games overall between the Admirals and Cyclones last season, Mele totaled a career-high 52 points (27g, 25a). Misuraca returns to Cincinnati following a successful 2016 training camp with the Cyclones. He has appeared in a pair of games with the Peoria Rivermen of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) this season, and made his pro debut with Peoria late last season, appearing in five games and scoring one goal. Prior to turning pro last season, the Clinton Twp, MI, native spent four seasons at the University of Alabama-Huntsville, where he skated in 128 games and recorded 30 points (11g, 19a).
First for the Kid: Cyclones defenseman Craig Dalrymple netted his first pro goal in Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Wheeling Nailers. Dalrymple is coming off of a successful college career at Ohio State, appearing in 118 games for the Buckeyes from 2012-2016 and totaling nine goals and 34 assists for 43 points.
Early Leader: Cyclones forward Dominic Zombo tallied the game-winner in Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Wheeling Nailers. Zombo is in his first season with the Cyclones after skating in 69 games with the Toledo Walleye last season where he accounted for 10 goals and 16 assists, along with 36 penalty minutes. He helped Toledo to a first place finish in the Eastern Conference last season, and appeared in five playoff games where he dished out a pair of assists.
Yogan Returns: The Cyclones re-signed forward Andrew Yogan prior to Tuesday’s loss to Toledo. He returns for his third stint with the Cincinnati Cyclones after spending 10 games early this season with HC Bolzano in Europe totaling a goal and six assists in that time. Yogan was a large piece to Cincinnati’s success last season as he totaled 43 points (15g, 28a) in 34 games for the Cyclones. He also saw time with the Iowa Wild, St. John’s IceCaps, and Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League (AHL) where he accounted for four goals and seven assists in 35 games.
Loads of Experience: This past offseason, the Cyclones added a wealth of experience to their lineup, adding close to 800 games of combined American Hockey League (AHL) experience. Leading the way is forward Peter LeBlanc who has skated in 261 AHL games, accounting for 132 points (60g, 72a). He is followed by Kenny Ryan who has appeared in 239 AHL contests, totaling 77 points in those contests, and Justin Vaive who has 58 points in 208 AHL games.
Key Returner: Forward Nick Huard is the Cyclones’ top returner this season. He is coming off of a stellar rookie season where he ranked sixth in League rookie scoring with 52 points (21g, 31a), and first in power play goals with 15.
Cyclones Add Wellar: In the offseason Patrick Wellar was named the Cyclones’ new Assistant Coach, replacing Cam Keith who left to take the head coaching position with the Trail Smoke Eaters of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). Wellar joins the Cyclones’ staff after a successful 12-year pro-hockey career, which included three ECHL Kelly Cup championships and a Calder Cup championship in the American Hockey League (AHL). Wellar has spent the last two seasons with the Utah Grizzlies and Alaska Aces as a player-assistant coach, and in 747 professional games over his 12-year career, the former defenseman racked up 1,223 penalty minutes over the course of his 747-game pro career. He was also responsible for 39 goals and 140 assists for 179 career points.
Cyclones Move East: In the offseason, the ECHL announced their divisional realignment plan for the 2016-2017 season. As a result of this plan, the Cyclones will now be members of the Eastern Conference’s South Division. The move marks a return to the Eastern Conference for Cincinnati, who spent last season in the Western Conference as members of the Midwest Division. The Cyclones will be joining the Atlanta Gladiators, Florida Everblades, Greenville Swamp Rabbits, Norfolk Admirals, Orlando Solar Bears, and South Carolina Stingrays. Cincinnati’s former divisional foes Ft. Wayne, Indy, and Quad City remain in the Western Conference as members of the new Central Division. Cincinnati has five games against their new divisional rivals- two with Atlanta (11/18 in Cincinnati and 1/14 in Atlanta), two with Greenville (1/15 and 4/7 in Greenville) and one with South Carolina (4/8 in South Carolina). The Cyclones skated in nine games against South Division teams in 2015-2016, compiling a 3-5-1-0 record in those contests.
The 2016-17 season is underway, and the Cincinnati Cyclones want you along for the ride as they march towards another Kelly Cup Championship! 2016-17 single game tickets and packages along with group and Season Ticket Packages are available NOW! Call 513.421.PUCK to reserve your seats. Fans can also get the latest team updates on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!