For Immediate Release: November 29, 2017
Game 17 (Home Game 7)
Vs. Reading Royals (10-6-1-0, 21 PTS)
Wednesday, November 29, 2017 - 7:35pm ET
U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH
Overview: Cincinnati returns home on Wednesday night to take on the Reading Royals in their lone trip to the Queen City this season. The Cyclones are winners of three straight and four of the last six contests, and are seeking their tenth win in the month of November.
Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (10-5-1-0) skated to a 4-1 road victory against the Ft. Wayne Komets on Saturday night. Forwards Justin Danforth, Jesse Schultz, Winston Day Chief, and Rob De Fulviis netted the goals for Cincinnati. The Cyclones were outshot, 38-25 on the evening, with goaltender Anthony Peters stopping 36 in the win.
Friday Afternoon Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones earned a 3-1 win over the Wheeling Nailers on Friday afternoon. Forwards Shawn O’Donnell, Rob De Fulviis, and Justin Danforth lit the lamp for the Cyclones, while goaltender Jonas Johansson stopped 32-of-33 shots in his Cyclones debut. Cincinnati was outshot, 33-26 on the night, while the power play converted on 25% of it’s chances.
Wednesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (8-5-1-0) edged out the Toledo Walleye, 1-0 on Wednesday night, in front of 7,917. Forward Justin Danforth netted the lone goal of the game, while Cyclones goaltender Anthony Peters stopped all 18 shots for his first shutout of the season. The Cyclones were outshot, 18-17 on the night, with both teams going scoreless on the power play.
Previewing Reading: The Royals enter Wednesday winners of three-of-four, however are coming off a 5-1 loss to the Wheeling Nailers on Sunday afternoon. They stand as one of the top defensive teams in the League, ranking sixth with 2.71 goals allowed per game, and tenth with 31.35 shots allowed. Offensively, Mark Naclerio leads all active players with 15 points (7g, 8a). He is followed by forward Matt Willows (6g, 8a) and defenseman Nolan Zajac (4g, 9a) who round out the top three. In goal, John Muse and Mark Dekanich have essentially split time, with each earning identical 5-3 records in regulation, and Muse earning the lone overtime loss. Muse also has the edge in both goals-against average (2.45) and save percentage (.924).
Inside the Series: Wednesday will be the first of two meetings between the teams this season. Game two will be in Reading on February 16. Wednesday also marks the return of former Cyclones defenseman Saverio Posa and Assistant Coach Patrick Wellar who were lured to Reading this offseason.
Next Game Preview: The Cyclones head north of the border for a two-game set with the Brampton Beast, beginning Friday. This will be the first all-time trip to Brampton for Cincinnati, who will return for a Sunday afternoon game in mid-March.
NEED-TO-KNOW
Filling the Net: The line of Justin Danforth, Shawn O’Donnell, and Jesse Schultz have led the Cyclones offensively this season, accounting for 51 points (21g, 30a) through the first 16 games this season. O’Donnell leads the team in scoring with 20 points (7g, 13a), and has four goals and 10 assists in his last 10 games. Danforth is having a stellar first full pro season, currently ranking fourth in League rookie scoring with 17 points (9g, 8a). He has 12 points over his last nine games (7g, 5a), including his first pro hat trick in a 4-1 win over the Florida Everblades back on November 8, and is currently riding a three-game goal-scoring streak. Schultz’s 42 points (5g, 9a) places him for third on the team in scoring, and he is also tied for the team lead with a plus-5 on-ice rating.
Amongst the Best: The Cyclones have three players on ECHL leader boards entering the week. Forward Shawn O’Donnell is tied for sixth in League scoring with 20 points (7g, 13a), while rookie forward Justin Danforth is fourth amongst rookies with 17 points (9g, 8a). Additionally, goaltender Anthony Peters is fourth in the ECHL with a 2.26 goals against average, and sixth with a .929 save percentage.
Cyclones Add Kelley: The Cyclones have signed forward Tommy Kelley to a Standard Player Contract (SPC). Kelley most recently skated with the Knoxville Ice Bears of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) where he accounted for eight points in eight games (4g, 4a). He has also appeared in three games with the ECHL’s Manchester Monarchs, accounting for a goal in that time. He spent the last four years at Boston University where he recorded four goals and four assists in 86 career games with the Terriers.
Reaching New Heights: With a goal in Saturday’s 4-1 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets, forward Rob De Fulviis has set a new career-high with four goals. It also serves as a new career-high in points .The Toronto, ON, native recorded a goal and three assists in 26 games with the Cyclones last season.
Limited Opportunity: Cincinnati is fourth in the ECHL with 2.56 goals against per game, and ninth with 31 shots allowed. The Cyclones have allowed two or fewer goals in four straight games, and have given up more than three goals on just three occasions.
Finishing What They Started: The Cyclones have a perfect 7-0-0-0 record when leading through two periods this season, and are 6-2-0-0 when leading after one. This is a continuing trend from last season, when the Cyclones were 23-1-3-1 when leading after one, and 26-1-2-0 when leading after 40 minutes.
Squeaky Clean: Cyclones goaltender Anthony Peters stopped all 18 shots he faced in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over the Toledo Walleye, earning his first shutout of the season, and the seventh clean sheet of his career. He currently ranks fourth in the League with a 2.26 goals-against average, and has faced 25 or more shots in six of his last seven outings.
New Affiliation: This offseason, the Cyclones, in conjunction with the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Buffalo Sabres, announced a new affiliation agreement. For Cincinnati, the move comes following a 10-year partnership with the Nashville Predators, while the Sabres recently concluded a two-year relationship with the now-defunct Elmira Jackals. This affiliation will be a reunion of sorts for the cities of Cincinnati and Buffalo, as the Sabres’ American Hockey League (AHL) Affiliate from 1971-1974 was the Cincinnati Swords. The Rochester Americans will serve as Cincinnati’s new AHL affiliate, and have been the AHL affiliate of the Sabres since 2011. This is not the first time Cincinnati and Rochester have been affiliated, as the two clubs teamed up in 2010-11 when the Americans were affiliated with the Florida Panthers.
Stay Connected!: Follow the latest news on Twitter (@CincyCyclones), Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and more! Also, for all of the latest news and notes, head over to www.cycloneshockey.com.
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