For Immediate Release: November 12, 2019
Game 12 (Home Game 5)
Vs. Allen Americans (9-2-0-0, 18 pts)
Tuesday, November 12, 2019, 10:35am ET
Heritage Bank Center - Cincinnati, OH
Overview: The Cyclones return home for their annual Field Trip Day Game on Tuesday Morning against the Allen Americans, which will begin a three-game homestand. The Cyclones are coming off a 3-2 win over the Kalamazoo Wings on Sunday afternoon, snapping their two-game skid, and they are in the midst of 11 games in a 16-day span.
Sunday Afternoon Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (6-4-1-0) took down the Kalamazoo Wings, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon. The Cyclones received goals from forwards Ben Johnson, Darik Angeli, and John Edwardh, and brought their two-game losing streak to an end. Cincinnati outshot the Wings, 29-24 on the afternoon, with goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopping 22 for his first Cyclones win.
Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (5-4-1-0) dropped a 4-1 decision to the Indy Fuel on Saturday night. Forward Jesse Schultz scored the lone goal for the ‘Clones. The Cyclones were outshot, 36-27 on the evening, with goaltender Sean Romeo stopping 32 in the loss.
Friday Night Recap:The Cincinnati Cyclones (5-3-1-0) fell to the Brampton Beast, 3-0, on Friday night. The loss marks the first home defeat of the campaign. Cincinnati outshot Brampton 23-19, with goaltender Sean Romeo steering aside 16 in the loss.
Previewing Allen: The Americans sit in a tie with the Rapid City Rush atop the ECHL standings with a 9-2-0-0 record through the first 11 games played this season. They are currently on a six-game winning streak, and are coming of a 3-2 overtime win over the Norfolk Admirals on Saturday night. They have been finding ways to win, as all but three of the games have been decided by one goal, including seven of their wins. They also have a League-high five overtime wins. Offensively, they rank ninth in the ECHL with 3.64 goals per game, and are led by defenseman Les Lancaster who has accounted for a goal along with a team-leading 12 assists. He is followed by forward Spencer Asuchak (4g, 8a) and Oliver Archambault (5g, 6a) who round out the top three. In goal, Jake Paterson has shouldered the bulk of the load, appearing in seven games and posting a record of 6-1-0-0 along with a 3.50 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage.
Inside the Series: Tuesday marks the beginning of a two-game season series between the Cyclones and Americans, and it will be the firs-ever trip to Cincinnati for Allen. The Cyclones took two-of-three from Allen last season, on the road, however the all-time series is deadlocked at 2-2-1-1.
Next Game Preview: Cincinnati and Allen conclude their two-game season series on Thursday night at 7:35pm at Heritage Bank Center.
Milestone Watch: Cyclones forward Jesse Schultz is closing in on a pair of major professional milestones. He currently is just two points shy of 900 for his pro career, and is only 14 games away from 1,000 pro games played. He currently sits at 348 goals and 550 assists across 986 games, in a career that has seen him spend time in North America in the ECHL, American Hockey League (AHL), and Central Hockey League (CHL), and he also skated in a pair of games for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also seen time overseas in Denmark, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, and Sweden. Additionally, Schultz is just nine points shy of 300 ECHL points, and 24 games away from 300 for his ECHL career.
Aquin Recalled: Cyclones forward Pascal Aquin has been recalled by the Rochester Americans, Cincinnati’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. Aquin has appeared in 10 games for Cincinnati this season, accounting for three assists along with 11 minutes in penalties. Aquin skated in 68 games for Cincinnati last season, ranking fifth on the team in scoring with 59 points, and he was tied for second on the team with 27 goals. He also added 32 assists which placed him sixth. Prior to turning pro, he enjoyed a successful junior hockey career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). In 221 career games between Gatineau, Shawinigan and Charlottetown, Aquin amassed 42 goals and 48 assists, along with 290 penalty minutes.
Luukkonen Earns his First Win: Cyclones goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen collected his first win as a Cyclone on Sunday afternoon, stopping 22 shots in the process. He appeared in last Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Brampton Beast, stopping 28 shots in his first game as a Cyclone. Hailing from Espoo, FIN, Luukkonen is coming off a successful season with the Sudbury Wolves in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) where he posted a record of 38-11-2, along with a 2.50 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. He was named OHL Goaltender of the Year for his efforts, and he also earned the Red Tilson Trophy, which is given to the Most Outstanding Player in the League. He is the first European import player to earn that award. Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres, National Hockey League (NHL) affiliate of the Cyclones, in the second round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Luukkonen made his North American debut late last season, stopping 32 shots in a 4-2 win over the Belleville Senators on April 14. He has also seen time on the international stage with the Finnish National Team, earning a gold medal in both the 2019 Under-20 World Junior Championships and 2017 Under-18 World Junior Championships, and he helped backstop the Finnish squad to a silver medal in the 2017 U18 WJC. Luukkonen has also suited up on the Finnish club level for the HPK program from 2014-18, winning a Jr. A SM-liiga Championship in 2017.
Finding Their Stride: The line of Justin Vaive, Darik Angeli, and Jesse Schultz have accounted for nine goals and 14 assists over the last six games for the Cyclones, after combining for a goal and three assists in Sunday’s 3-2 win over the Kalamazoo Wings. Schultz has points in six of his last seven games (5g, 5a), and leads the team in scoring with 11 points on the season (6g, 5a). Additionally, Vaive has three goals and three assists over his last five outings, while Angeli tallied his first goal as a ‘Clone in Sunday’s win.
“O” from the “D”: Cyclones defensemen have had a penchant for finding the scoresheet in recent games, as they have combined for five goals and six assists in the last seven contests. Frank Hora has three goals in that span, including the game-winner in Wednesday’s 5-4 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets, while both Justin Baudry and Cody Sol have each accounted for a goal and an assist.
Holding the Lead: Cincinnati is a perfect 5-0-0-0 when scoring the first goal and when leading through two periods this season, and are currently ninth in the ECHL with 3.00 goals allowed per game.
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 Year Michael 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.
The 2019-20 Cincinnati Cyclones season is upon us! The defending Brabham Cup champion Cyclones are looking to build off of last season’s success, 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!
