For Immediate Release: December 5, 2017
Game 20 (Home Game 8)
Vs. Orlando Solar Bears (8-10-3-0, 19 PTS)
Tuesday, December 5, 2017 - 7:35pm ET
U.S. Bank Arena – Cincinnati, OH
Overview: Cincinnati saw their five-game winning streak snapped on Sunday afternoon, in a 3-2 loss to the Brampton Beast on the road. Despite the loss, Cincinnati still sits in second place in the ECHL’s Central Division, and has won 11 of their last 15. They return home on Tuesday to host the Orlando Solar Bears in the first of six in a row at U.S. Bank Arena.
Sunday Afternoon Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (12-6-1) fell to the Brampton Beast, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon. Forwards Justin Danforth and Winston Day Chief netted the goals for Cincinnati, who see their five-game winning streak halted. Cincinnati outshot Brampton, 34-33 on the afternoon, with netminder Jonas Johansson stopping 30 in a losing effort.
Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (12-5-1-0) picked up their fifth win in a row with a 4-2 decision over the Brampton Beast. Cyclones forwards Jesse Schultz, Justin Danforth, and Shawn O’Donnell, along with defenseman Chris Leone scored the goals for the ‘Clones. The Cyclones were outshot, 36-33 on the evening, with goaltender Jonas Johansson turning aside 34 for his third consecutive win.
Wednesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (11-5-1-0) took down the Reading Royals, 4-3, on Wednesday night. Forwards Brandon McNally, Rob De Fulviis, Shawn O’Donnell, and Justin Danforth netted the goals for Cincinnati, who have now won four games in a row. The Royals outshot Cincinnati, 30-24 on the night, with Cyclones netminder Jonas Johansson stopping 27 in the win.
Previewing Orlando: The Solar Bears have four of their last six games, and are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Atlanta Gladiators on Sunday Afternoon. Orlando has bounced back since a 2-8-2-0 start, compiling a 6-2-1-0 record over their last nine contests. They are led offensively by forward Joshua Winquist who has totaled six goals and 15 assists through 18 games. He is followed by defenseman Nolan Valleau (7g, 13a) and forward Max Novak (7g,11a) who round out the top three. In goal, Cal Heeter has posted a 5-5-2-0 record, along with a 3.27 goals-against average and a .886 save percentage.
Inside the Series: Tuesday will be the first time since the 2015-16 season that the Cyclones and Solar Bears will meet, and will mark the start of a two-game series this week. Overall, Cincinnati and Orlando have met 11 times with the Solar Bears holding a 7-4-0 record.
Next Game Preview: The Cyclones and Orlando Solar bears wrap up their season series on Thursday night at 7:35pm ET.
NEED-TO-KNOW
We’re Going Streaking!: Cyclones forwards Justin Danforth and Shawn O’Donnell are both riding seven-game point streaks entering Tuesday night. Danforth has accounted for six goals and four assists in that time, including goals in six straight, while O’Donnell has tallied three goals and seven assists.
Filling the Net: The line of Justin Danforth, Shawn O’Donnell, and Jesse Schultz have led the Cyclones offensively this season, accounting for 62 points (27g, 35a) through the first 18 games this season, including four goals and three assists this past weekend in Brampton against the Beast. O’Donnell leads the team in scoring with 24 points (9g, 15a), while Danforth is having a stellar first full pro season, currently ranking second in League rookie scoring with 21 points (12g, 9a). Schultz’s 17 points (6g, 11a) places him third on the team in scoring, and he is also tied for second on the team with a plus-10 on-ice rating.
Secondary Scoring: Cincinnati’s second and third lines, along with the defensive corps, have made major contributions offensively in recent games, accounting for five goals and nine assists over the last six outings. Leading the way is defenseman Devante Stephens who has accounted for four assists in that time, followed byforward Rob De Fulviis who saw his three-game goal scoring streak come to an end on Friday night.
The Captain Returns: Cyclones Captain Eric Knodel has been reassigned to Cincinnati by the Rochester Americans, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Cincinnati Cyclones. Signed to a Professional Tryout Agreement (PTO) on November 16, Knodel appeared in two games with the Americans, however did not record a point. Knodel currently ranks fourth on the team in scoring with 12 points (5g, 7a).
Amongst the Best: The Cyclones have a pair of players on ECHL leader boards entering Tuesday. Forward Shawn O’Donnell is tied for fifth in League scoring with 24 points (9g, 15a), while rookie forward Justin Danforth leads all rookies with 12 goals and is second with 21 points.
Peters Earns AHL Call: The Cincinnati Cyclones, proud ECHL affiliate of the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Rochester Americans and the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Buffalo Sabres, have announced that goaltender Anthony Peters has been loaned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. A native of Blyth, ON, Peters currently ranks fourth in the ECHL with a 2.26 goals-against average and fifth with a .929 save percentage, along with a 7-4-1-0 record. He has won six of the last eight games he has skated in, allowing two or fewer goals in five of those contests.
Reaching New Heights: Cyclones forward Rob De Fulviis saw his three-game goal scoring streak snapped on Friday night, however he has set a new career-high in goals and points with five tallies on the season. The Toronto, ON, native recorded a goal and three assists in 26 games with the Cyclones last season.
Limited Opportunity: Cincinnati is third in the ECHL with 2.47 goals against per game, and 12th with 31.32 shots allowed. The Cyclones have allowed two or fewer goals in five of their last seven games, and have given up more than three goals on just three occasions.
Finishing What They Started: The Cyclones are 9-1-0-0 record when leading through two periods this season, and are 7-3-0-0 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.
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.
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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!
