For Immediate Release: December 30, 2017
Game 30 (Road Game 16)
Vs. Indy Fuel (10-15-2-1, 23 pts)
Saturday, December 30, 2017 - 7:35pm ET
Indiana Farmers Coliseum - Indianapolis, IN
Overview: The Cyclones have won two in a row, and are coming off of a 5-4 shootout win over the Quad City Mallards on Friday night. Cincinnati is in the midst of a four game in five day stretch, and Friday marks the second of a three-in-three for Cincinnati.
Last Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (18-10-1-0) took down the Quad City Mallards, 5-4 in a shootout, on Friday night. Forward Winston Day Chief netted a pair, while forward Alex Kile and defenseman Anthony Florentino each netted a goal in regulation, while forward Justin Danforth scored the only goal in the shootout for the Cyclones. The Cyclones were outshot, 33-30, with goaltenders Jason Kasdorf and Jonas Johansson combining to stop 29 in the win.
Wednesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (17-10-1-0) defeated the Ft. Wayne Komets, 5-3 on Wednesday night, in front of close to 7,500 fans at U.S. Bank Arena. Forward Justin Vaive led the way with a pair of goals, while defenseman Eric Knodel along with forwards Dominic Zombo and Jesse Schultz added lone tallies for the Cyclones. The Cyclones outshot the Komets, 33-22, with goaltender Anthony Peters stopping 19 in the win.
Last Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (16-10-1-0) fell to the Indy Fuel, 7-4, on Saturday night. Defenseman Arvin Atwal, along with forwards Justin Danforth, Jesse Schultz, and Shawn O’Donnell scored the goals for Cincinnati, who see their four-game winning streak halted. The Cyclones outshot the Fuel, 44-38, with goaltenders Jason Kasdorf and Anthony Peters combining to stop 31 in the loss.
Previewing Indy: The Fuel have won two of their last three games, and are coming off a 5-3 road win over the Kalamazoo Wings on Thursday night. Special teams has played big role for the Fuel this season, as they rank sixth in the ECHL having killed off 86.6% of oppositional power plays, and are eighth with a 19.6% power play conversion rate. They are led by forward Alex Wideman who has accounted for nine goals and 11 assists in 28 games this season. He is followed by forwards Cam Reid (7g, 12a) and Michael Neal (10g, 7a) who round out the top three. In goal, Etienne Marcoux leads all active netminders with a 5-5-0-1 record along with a 2.47 goals-against average and a League-leading .936 save percentage.
Inside the Series: Saturday marks the second of 10 meetings this season between the Cyclones and Fuel, with Indy taking game one last Saturday, 7-4. Cincinnati posted a 7-4-0-1 record against the Fuel last season, outscoring Indy 31-19 in those contests.
Next Game Preview: The Cyclones wrap up the 2017 calendar year at home on Sunday evening against the Brampton. This will be the third of four meetings between the Cyclones and Beast this season, with the teams spliting a two-game series in Brampton early in December.
NEED-TO-KNOW
First for the Kid: Cyclones defenseman Anthony Florentino netted his first pro goal in Friday’s 5-4 shootout win over the Quad City Mallards. Florentino has three points in 11 games during his first season as a pro.
Piling up the Points: Forward Jesse Schultz saw his 13-game point streak come to an end in Friday’s 5-4 shootout win over the Mallards, however he is still tied for third in ECHL scoring with 31 points (11g, 20a). He has points in all but six games played this season including six multi-point outings.
Day by Day, Goal by Goal: Forward Winston Day Chief lit the lamp twice in Friday’s 5-4 shootout win over the Quad City Mallards, and now has seven goals in his last six games, including his first ECHL hat trick in a 6-1 win over the Mallards on October 15th. He currently ranks fourth on the Cyclones with 11 goals.
Early and Often: The Cyclones are outscoring the opposition 33-21 in the first period this season, and are 11-5-0-0 when leading after 20 minutes this season. Additionally, Cincinnati is 13-4-0-0 when scoring first, and 9-1-0-0 when scoring the first two goals of the game.
Feeling the VAIVE-be: Cyclones forward Justin Vaive had a pair of goals Wednesday’s 5-3 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets. He also recorded his second career ECHL hat trick in the first period of last Friday’s 7-4 win over the Quad City Mallards, and has seven goals and four assists in his last seven games. He is the fourth Cyclone to record a hat trick for Cincinnati this season, joining forward Justin Danforth and Winston Day Chief, and defenseman Eric Knodel.
Peters Receives Second AHL Call: Cyclones goaltender Anthony Peters has been called up the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL). This marks Peters’ second AHL assignment of the season, as the Penguins also pulled him up for three games from December 1-6. The Blyth, ON, native has posted a 10-4-1-0 record with the Cyclones this season, and currently ranks fourth in the ECHL with a 2.34 goal-against average, and is tied for fifth with a .925 save percentage. He has won six of his last seven starts, allowing two goals or fewer in four of those contests, and has stopped 24 or more shots in 11 of his 16 games played this season.
Lending a Helping Hand: Forward Shawn O’Donnell dished out a season-high four assists in Wednesday’s 5-3 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets. He is enjoying a 11-game point streak, amassing four goals and 13 assists in that time, and his 31 points (10g, 21) have him tied for seventh in ECHL scoring.
We Are, We Are....The Youth of the Nation: Despite seeing his 11-game point streak snapped in a 6-1 win over the Quad City Mallards on December 15, rookie forward Justin Danforth has picked up right where he left off, accounting for a four goals and four assists in his last five games. He si ts atop of the ECHL’s rookie leaderboard, and is tied for third in overall scoring with 36 points (17g, 19a), and has 11 goals and 13 assists over his last 17 games.
Second Line Prowess: The line of Brandon McNally, Daniel Muzito-Bagenda, and Winston Day Chief have led the Cyclones offensively over the last eight games, totaling nine goals and 18 assists in that span.
Secondary Scoring: Cincinnati’s second and third lines, along with the defensive corps, have made major contributions offensively in recent games, accounting for 28 goals and 41 assists over the last 15 outings.
Limited Opportunity: Cincinnati is sixth in the ECHL, averaging 2.90 goals against per game, and have allowed three or fewer goals in 12 of their last 16 games. Additionally, they have given up more than four goals on just six occasions.
Finishing What They Started: The Cyclones have a 13-1-0-0 record when leading through two periods this season. 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.
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.
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!
