For Immediate Release: December 7, 2017
CYCLONES UPENDED AT HOME AS ORLANDO COMPLETES SWEEP
Cincinnati’s Comeback Bid Falls Short
Cincinnati, OH-The Cincinnati Cyclones (12-8-1-0) fell to the Orlando Solar Bears, 5-3, on Thursday night. Defenseman Eric Knodel, along with forwards Brandon McNally and Mike Barrett netted the goals for the Cyclones.
The Cyclones started off the scoring 14:44 into the opening period, when forward Justin Danforth sent a pass to Knodel at the blue line and he hammered a shot in past Solar Bears goaltender Cal Heeter on the power play, putting Cincinnati ahead, 1-0.
That 1-0 score held up throughout the remainder of the first, and in the second the Solar Bears stormed out of the gate with a pair of goals from Kristian Pospisil to give Orlando a 2-1 lead, 8:33 into the frame.
The Cyclones did not take long to tie the game back up, as roughly two minutes later a point shot from Knodel was tipped in by McNally to pull Cincinnati even, 2-2.
Orlando’s power play gave them a 3-2 lead at the 14:47 mark when forward Chris LeBlanc lit the lamp for his fifth goal of the season.
Cincinnati was not deterred, and with less than four minutes to play, Barrett entered the offensive zone, pulled the puck around a defender, and lit the lamp for his first pro goal to pull the ‘Clones even with Orlando, 3-3, after two periods.
The Solar Bears stole the momentum back in the third, receiving a pair of goals from forward Jean Dupuy and defenseman Mike Monfredo to jump out to a 5-3 lead.
Cincinnati continued to battle and had numerous Grade A scoring chances the rest of the way, however Heeter was perfect in the period and preserved Orlando’s 5-3 win.
Cincinnati outshot the Solar Bears, 30-19 on the night, with goaltender Jason Kasdorf stopping 14 in defeat. The Cyclones are back on home ice on Saturday night against the Tulsa Oilers. Face-off is scheduled for 7:35pm.
The 2017-18 season is underway, and the Cincinnati Cyclones want YOU along for the ride! Call (513) 421-PUCK for information regarding Cyclones single game tickets, ticket packages, and Season and Group Tickets! Also, stay on top of the latest team updates on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!
