For Immediate Release: January 21, 2017
Vs. Indy Fuel (12-24-1-2, 27pts)
Saturday, January 21, 2017 - 7:35pm ET
Indiana Farmers Coliseum - Indianapolis, IN
Overview: The Cyclones continue their season-long eight-game road trip on Saturday night in Indianapolis against the Indy Fuel. The Cyclones are coming off of a 4-2 loss at the hands of the Ft. Wayne Komets on Friday night, and Saturday will mark the second of a three-game weekend for Cincinnati.
Last Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (17-16-4-0) fell to the Ft. Wayne Komets, 4-2, on Friday night. Forward Colin Mulvey had both goals for the Cyclones, who were outshot, 31-26 on the night. Goaltenders Mark Visentin and Joel Rumpel combined to stop 27 in the loss.
Sunday Afternoon Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (17-15-4-0) dropped a 3-2 decision to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on Sunday afternoon. Forwards Colin Mulvey and Nick Huard tallied the goals for the Cyclones, who fall to a divisional opponent for the second straight game. The Cyclones outshot Greenville, 29-22 on the afternoon, with goaltender Mark Visentin stopping 19 in a losing effort.
Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (17-14-4-0) fell to the Atlanta Gladiators, 6-2, on Saturday night. Forwards Seth Ambroz and Peter LeBlanc tallied the lone goals for Cincinnati, who see their five-game winning streak come to an end. Both teams registered 34 shots on the night, with Cyclones netminder Mark Visentin stopping 28 in the loss.
Previewing Indy: The Fuel have dropped two in a row following a three-game winning streak, and are coming off of a 4-1 loss to the Toledo Walleye on Friday night. The Fuel enter Saturday’s contest as the League’s second-least penalized team with 11.46 minutes per game. They are led by former-Cyclone Josh Shalla who has accounted for 33 points (19g, 14a) in 38 games between the Fuel and Wheeling Nailers. He is followed by forwards Alex Wideman (13g, 19a) and Kevin Lynch (11g, 13a) who round out the top three. In goal, Jake Hildebrand leads the way with a record of 11-10-1 along with a 3.34 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.
Inside the Series: Saturday will be the eighth of 12 matchups this season between Cincinnati and Indy, with the Cyclones holding a 4-3 edge in the series thus far.
Next Game Preview: Cincinnati wraps up their stretch of three games in three days on Sunday afternoon against the Fuel, in the ninth meeting of the season between the two teams. Face-off is scheduled for 3:05pm ET.
News and Notes:
Callin’ on Colin: Cyclones forward Colin Mulvey scored both Cyclones goals in Friday’s 4-2 loss to the Ft. Wayne Komets, and now has three goals in his last two games. He now has six goals and two assists through 29 games played this season, including five goals and one helper through the first seven games of 2017.
Cyclones Acquire Johnston: Cincinnati Cyclones Head Coach Matt Macdonald has announced that the team has acquired defenseman Daniel Johnston from the Alaska Aces in exchange for cash considerations. A native of Calgary, AB, Johnston has not appeared in a game this season, however he split the 2015-16 campaign with the Aces, Idaho Steelheads, and Wichita Thunder. In 32 games last year, Johnston accounted for three goals and 10 assists. Standing at 6’2” and weighing in at 212 pounds, Johnston turned pro in 2013, and spent the first two years of his pro career with the Colorado Eagles and Evansville IceMen. In 124 games from 2013-15, he totaled 10 goals and dished out 31 assists along with 161 minutes in penalties. He also skated in six playoff games with the Eagles in 2014 where he dished out an assist. Prior to turning pro, Johnston enjoyed a successful junior hockey career in the Western Hockey League (WHL) that spanned parts of six seasons from 2007-2013. In 253 WHL games, Johnston accounted for 17 goals and 88 assists, along with 251 penalty minutes.
Loaded Pistol: Forward Peter LeBlanc has been on fire lately, recording points in eight of his last 10 games (3g, 7a) along with plus-4 on-ice rating. LeBlanc has been one of Cincinnati’s top offensive leaders since late November, recording points in 14 of his last 21 games (9g, 9a).
He Can Do It All: Defenseman Jaynen Rissling was moved up to forward for Cincinnati’s last seven games and has made an immediate impact, accounting for two goals and six assists in that time. He is enjoying career highs in goals (4), assists (11), and points (15).
Stingy Defense: Cincinnati currently ranks seventh in the ECHL with 2.92 goals allowed per game, and sixth with 28.95 shots allowed per game.
Power Surge: The Cyclones have scored a power play goal in six of their last 10 games overall, converting on five of 32 chances (15.6%) in that span.
The Road Ahead: The Cyclones will be spending a lot of time on the road in the coming weeks, as they are in the middle of a season long eight-game road trip. The Cyclones are 7-11-0-0 on the road this season while averaging 2.66 goals per game.
Get Ahead, Stay Ahead: The Cyclones are 13-1-3 record when leading after one period and a 14-1-2 mark when leading after 40 minutes.
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!
