For Immediate Release: December 15, 2018
CYCLONES SILENCE THUNDER IN SHOOTOUT
Cincinnati Victorious Despite Late-Game Controversy
Cincinnati, OH- The Cincinnati Cyclones (18-5-2-1) edged out the Wichita Thunder, 4-3 in a shootout, on Saturday night. Defensemen Devante Stephens and Arvin Atwal along with forward Jesse Schultz netted the goals in regulation, while forward Mike Marnell tallied the lone goal in the shootout for the Cyclones, who push their winning streak to a season-high six games.
The Cyclones jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when Stephens skated in to the bottom of the left circle following a pass from forward Ben Johnson and snapped a shot in under the crossbar to put Cincinnati up, 1-0, 7:31 into the first.
After the Thunder tied the game up on a power play tally from Steven Iacobellis, Cincinnati regained the lead at the 10:17 mark when a shot from defenseman Andrew DeBrincat was redirected in by Schultz who was crossing in front of the net, giving the Cyclones a 2-1 edge.
The 2-1 Cincinnati lead held up throughout the remainder of the first, and in the second the physicality picked up as the teams combined for 18 minutes of penalties, including a fight between Stephens and Wichita’s PC Labrie. The second also saw numerous scrums and extracurriculars after the whistle. With 41 seconds left in the frame, the Thunder evened the contest back up when Nolan Vesey lit the lamp to tie the game, 2-2, after 40 minutes.
The third saw the intensity continue to pick up, and 6:48 into the frame, the Cyclones took the lead back when Atwal skated down the right side, cut in front of the net, and lifted a backhander in past Wichita goaltender Stuart Skinnerto put Cincinnati up, 3-2.
The momentum was short-lived however, as roughly five minutes later the Thunder tied the game on a goal from forward Ralph Cuddemi to pull Wichita level, 3-3. With less than seven minutes to play, Cincinnati appeared to regain the lead while shorthanded when forward Vas Glotov scored on a 2-on-1 rush following a pass from forward Nate Mitton, however it was determined that Mitton closed his hand around the puck in the defensive zone, thus negating the goal.
The 3-3 tie held up throughout the remainder of regulation, despite some quality scoring chances from both teams, and the game headed into overtime tied, 3-3. In the extra session, Cincinnati opened up with 41 seconds of a power play and continued to pressure offensively. The ‘Clones and Thunder continued to trade chances, however neither side was able to net the winner, and the game headed to a shootout still tied, 3-3.
In the skills competition, Marnell netted the lone goal for either side, while goaltender Jonas Johansson stopped all three shots he faced to lift the Cyclones to a 4-3 shootout win. Cincinnati outshot Wichita, 26-24, on the night, with Johansson steering aside 21 in the win. Cincinnati next heads to Allen to begin a three-game series against the Americans on Wednesday. Face-off is scheduled for 8:05pm ET.
The 2018-19 season is HERE, and the Cincinnati Cyclones want YOU along for the ride!Single game, Group, and Season Tickets are on sale NOW by calling (513) 421-PUCK! Stay on top of all the latest team updates and information on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!
