For Immediate Release: December 16, 2016
Game 25 (Home Game 16)
Vs. IndyFuel (8-13-1-1, 18pts)
Friday, December 16, 2016 - 7:35pmET
U.S. BankArena - Cincinnati, OH
Overview: The Cyclones snapped a three game winless skid with a 3-1 win over the Indy Fuel on Friday night. Cincinnati has points in five of their last six games, and both of their regulation wins in the month of December have come against Indy.
Last Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (10-10-4-0) earned a hard-fought 3-1 win over the Indy Fuel on Thursday night. Forwards Andrew Yogan, Justin Kirkland, and Brandon McNally collected the goals for the Cyclones, who have points in five of their last six games. The Cyclones outshot Indy, 31-28 on the night, with Cincinnati goaltender Michael Houser stopping 27 to collect the win.
Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (9-10-4-0) dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to the Quad City Mallards on Saturday night. Defensemen Arvin Atwal and Craig Dalrymple, along with forward Tommy Mele scored the goals for the Cyclones. Both teams recorded 24 shots on goal on the evening, with Cyclones netminder Brad Thiessen stopping 20 in the loss.
Last Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (9-10-3-0) fell to the Quad City Mallards 4-3 in overtime on Friday night. Forward Peter LeBlanc netted a pair of goals while forward Dominic Zombo chipped in one for the Cyclones. The Cyclones were outshot by the Mallards, 26-25 on the evening, with Cincinnati’s Brad Thiessen stopping 22 in the loss.
Previewing Indy: The Fuel enter Thursday’s game having dropped eight in a row (0-7-0-1), including a 3-1 decision to the Cyclones on Thursday night. The Fuel have been struggling to find the offense lately as they have been outscored, 36-12, on their current skid, and have scored fewer than two goals on five occasions during that stretch. They are led by forward Alex Wideman who has totaled 21 points (11g, 10a) this season, including a pair of goals and an assist over the last five games. He is followed by forwards Kevin Lynch(6g, 9a) and Marek Tvrdon (7g, 5a) who round out the top three. In goal, recently-acquired Keegan Asmundson leads all active netminders with a 3.20 goals-against average and a .866 save percentage on the season, however Eric Levine turned out a stellar 28-save performance in last night’s loss.
Inside the Series: Friday marks the fifth of 12 meetings between the Cyclones and Fuel this season, with each side winning a pair of games thus far. This contest will also mark the third of five meetings in the month of December between the two sides. The Fuel posted a 7-4-0-0 record against the Cyclones last season, however Cincinnati holds an 12-9-2-1 edge in the all-time series.
Next Game Preview: The Cyclones head to Wheeling to take on the Nailers in the final gamebefore the Christmas break. Thursday will be the second of four meetings this season between Cincinnati and Wheeling, with the Cyclones taking the first matchup, 2-1, back on October 22.
News and Notes:
Scoresheet Staple: Forward Andrew Yogan has been a near-constant on the score sheet this season, leading the team with 27 points and scoring in all but five games played this season. He registered a goal and an assist in last night’s 3-1 win over the Indy Fuel after accounting for three assists in last weekend’s games against the Quad City Mallards. He has been responsible for four goals and eight assists in his last nine games overall.
First for the Kid: Cyclones forward Justin Kirkland netted his first pro goal on Thursday’s 3-1 win over the Indy Fuel. Reassigned to Cincinnati from the Milwaukee Admirals, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Cyclones on Thursday, Kirkland is in his first pro season and has appeared in a pair of games with Cincinnati along with 15 games for the Admirals where he dished out an assist.
Special Play: The Cyclones’ special teams have played a crucial role in recent games. Cincinnati’s power play has converted on four of their last 18 chances (22%), while the penalty kill has held the opposition scoreless on their last 13 power plays over the last six games. Additionally, the Cyclones have only allowed one power play marker in their last 18 times shorthanded.
Plugging the Lanes: The Cyclones have been very stingy with allowing shots over their last five games, limiting teams to fewer than five shots in five of their last 11 periods. Cincinnati allowed four shots in the second period to both the Missouri Mavericks on December 7 and Ft. Wayne last Wednesday, before holding the Komets to just three in the third that evening, as well. Cincinnati then limited the Quad City Mallards to just five shots in the third period of Saturday’s 4-3 overtime loss, and Indy to four in the first last night.
“O” from the “D”: The Cyclones have been getting major offensive contributions from the blue line in recent games, as Cyclones defensemen have accounted for 18 points (6g, 12a) in the last eight games. Arvin Atwal leads the way with a goal and six assists in that time, while Eric Knodel is right behind him with two goals and three assists.
Disciplined Hockey: The Cyclones enter the week as the second-least penalized team in the ECHL, averaging 10.41 minutes in penalties per game, and totaling 250 minutes overall. Forward Brandon McNally leads the team with 54 penalty minutes while rookie defenseman Arvin Atwal is second with 45, which places him second amongst League rookies.
Upcoming Promotions: Our Christmas Celebration rolls along on Friday with our always-popular Blanket Night promotion, where the first 3,000 fans will take home a Cyclones Christmas Blanket. The Cyclones will also be hosting a New Year’s Eve Fireworks spectacular on December 31, following that night’s contest against the Indy Fuel. Call (513) 421-PUCK (7825), visit us online at www.cycloneshockey.com, or stop by the U.S. Bank Arena box office for tickets and more information.
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!
