For Immediate Release: October 19, 2019
Game 2 (Road Game 1)
Vs. Kalamazoo Wings (0-1-0-0, 0 pts)
Saturday, October 19, 2019 - 7:00pm ET
Wings Event Center - Kalamazoo, MI
Overview: The Cyclones won their season-opener last Saturday, 4-2, over the Wheeling Nailers. Four different players registered goals while eight recorded points. Cincinnati has a light schedule to start the season, as they play four times in the opening three weeks of the season.
Last Saturday Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (1-0-0-0) took down the Wheeling Nailers, 4-2, on Saturday night. Forwards Mason Mitchell, John Edwardh, and Shaw Boomhower, along with defenseman Andrew DeBrincat netted the goals for Cincinnati, who overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period.
Preseason Recap: Cincinnati split their preseason home-and-home series with the Indy Fuel last weekend, falling 3-1 in Indy on Friday, before picking up a 4-1 win on home ice Saturday night. Forward Ryan Siroky led the way with a goal and an assist, while forwards Brady Vail, Darik Angeli, Shaw Boomhower, and Jake Smith each recorded lone goals. Additionally, four others registers assists, while goaltenders Michael Houser and Sean Romeo each started one game.
Previewing Kalamazoo The Wings dropped their season opener to the Ft. Wayne Komets, 5-2, last Saturday night. Forward Tanner Sorenson is the top returning scorer from one season ago, totaling 22 goals and a team-leading 42 assists for 64 points. Also returning from 2018-19 is forward Kyle Blaney who was responsible for 12 goals and 32 assists, and defenseman Eric Kattelus who chipped in 10 goals and 18 assists. In goal, Jake Hildebrand appeared in 46 games and turned out a record of 21-18-0-1, along with a 3.58 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage. Overall, Kalamazoo returns 12 players who skated in at least one game last season.
Inside the Series: Saturday marks the first of 14 meetings on the season between the Cyclones and Wings, and the first of six meetings on the road for Cincinnati. Saturday will also be the first time the two sides meet since their Central Division Semifinal series in last year’s playoffs, in which the Cyclones defeated Kalamazoo, 4 games to 2. The Cyclones and Wings met 12 times during the 2018-19 regular season, with Cincinnati posting a record of 9-1-1-0 and outscoring the Wings, 42-22, in those contests. Cincinnati was 5-0-1-0 on home ice against Kalamazoo this season, and had a record of 4-1-0-0 on the road. Cyclones forward Jesse Schultz led all players in the season series with five goals and eight assists for 13 points.
Next Game Preview: Cincinnati heads to Indy next Friday to begin a two-game road series against the Fuel. The teams split their two-game preseason series, with each team winning on home ice. Cincinnati posted an 8-4-0-0 record in last year’s season series, and outscored the Fuel, 44-34 in those contests.
Enemies Become Friends: The Cyclones acquired defenseman Cody Sol from the Toledo Walleye, in exchange for Future Considerations. Sol, who signed with the Walleye prior to the start of the season, registered an assist in his only game with the Walleye; a 4-3 win over the Brampton Beast on Saturday. A native of Woodstock, ON, Sol has spent the last five seasons with the Ft. Wayne Komets, where he accounted for 28 goals and 101 assists, along with 785 penalty minutes, across 287 games. He accounted for 11 points on four goals and seven assists last season, and enjoyed a career-high 29-point campaign (8g, 21a) in 2017-18. Sol has also seen ECHL time with the Colorado Eagles in 2012-13 and Ontario Reign in 2013-14. Overall, in 378 ECHL, Sol has accounted for 128 points (39g, 89a) along with a whopping 1,015 minutes in penalties. The 28-year-old has also seen time in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Chicago Wolves and St. John’s IceCaps, tallying a goal and three assists in 28 career games. Prior to turning pro, Sol enjoyed a successful career in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), suiting up for the Kitchener Rangers and Saginaw Spirit. In 255 career OHL games, he amassed 76 points (27g, 49a) along with 575 penalty minutes.
Breaking Down the Roster: Cincinnati returns 12 players who donned the Red and Black a season ago, led by 2018-19 League MVP Jesse Schultz, who accounted for 22 goals and 58 assists in 71 games, and was also the recipient of the League’s scoring title. Other notable returners include reigning ECHL Goaltender of the YearMichael Houser (29-7-4-1, 2.13 GAA, .922 SV%), team captain and player/assistant coach Justin Vaive (19g, 15a), and forward Brady Vail (27g, 38a). Additionally, Cincinnati received 10 players from the Rochester Americans, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Cyclones, and the roster also includes 12 newcomers and five rookies.
Reunited and it Feels so Good!: Cincinnati’s opening night roster features a few past connections. Newcomers Justin Baudry, Brendan Harms, and Cory Ward played collegiately at Bemidji State University. All three were teammates during the 2015-16 season, while Harms and Ward skated together, and were even linemates, from 2013-16. Additionally, rookie forward John Wiitala and rookie goaltender Sean Romeo each wrapped up their collegiate careers at Ohio State University. The pair spent the last two seasons together for the Buckeyes after Romeo transferred to the school prior to the 2016-17 season, and they helped lead the Buckeyes to the Frozen Four in 2018. Finally, forward Mason Mitchell played under Cyclones head coach Matt Thomas at the University of Alaska-Anchorage from 2015-17. Mitchell accounted for 26 points (15g, 11a) in 50 games under Thomas’ tutelage.
Cyclones Dominate Postseason Awards: Cincinnati took four of the five individual postseason awards, as forward Jesse Schultz,defenseman Eric Knodel, goaltender Michael Houser, and head coach Matt Thomas all earned ECHL hardware. Schultz earned League MVP honors after leading the ECHL with 22 goals and a League-leading 58 assists for a career-high 80 points through 71 games, and was third with 22 power play assists and tied for sixth with 25 power play points. Schultz also earned the ECHL scoring title, and was also named to the All-ECHL First Team last week. Knodel led all defensemen with 53 points (17g, 36a), and ranked third with an on-ice rating of plus-38. His 17 goals tied him for first and his 36 assists placed him fourth amongst League blueliners in those respective categories. Additionally, he was second amongst League rearguards in both power play points (25) and power play assists (19), and he was second with six man-advantage goals. He was also named the AMI Graphics ECHL Plus Performer of the Month for February, after posting an on-ice rating of plus-16 through 13 games during the month. Houser, who was named to the All-ECHL First Team last week, led all ECHL netminders with a record of 29-7-4-1, and was second with a 2.13 goals-against average. He also placed fourth in the ECHL with a .922 save percentage. His 29 wins tied him for the League-lead amongst ECHL netminders, and he allowed more than three goals on just seven occasions. Additionally, he made 25 or more saves in all but 12 outings this season. Houser was also named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Month for December after a perfect 6-0-0-0 record along with a 1.17 goals against average and a .950 save percentage. In his first season behind the Cyclones bench, Thomas guided the Cyclones to a League-best 51-13-5-3 record for 110 points, earning the team’s second-ever Brabham Cup as ECHL regular season champions, along with the team’s first division title since the 2012-13 season. The Cyclones achieved a 30-2-2-2 mark on home ice, tying an ECHL record for most home wins and fewest home losses, and also led the League with an average of 3.92 goals scored per game and goals against with 2.44. Thomas was also named head coach of the Western Conference All-Stars at this season’s CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic in Toledo.
The 2019-20 Cincinnati Cyclones season is upon us! The defending Brabham Cup champion Cyclones open the season with FIRST FACE-OFF on Saturday, October 12, against the Wheeling Nailers, and we invite YOU to join us for the ride! Single game tickets, along with season and group ticket packages for every game this season are on sale now, and you can get more info 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!
