For Immediate Release: December 15, 2019
Game 27 (Road Game 14)
Vs. Kalamazoo Wings (7-13-3-0, 17 pts)
Sunday, December 15, 2019, 3:00pm ET
Wings Event Center - Kalamazoo, MI
Overview: The Cyclones stumbled at home on Saturday night, dropping a 4-3 overtime decision to the Toledo Walleye at home. Cincinnati still holds a five-point cushion over the Walleye for the top spot in the ECHL’s Central Division, and Sunday will be the final game of a 4-in-5 stretch, and the third of a 3-in-3 for the ‘Clones.
Last Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (17-6-3-0) suffered a 3-2 overtime defeat at the hands of the Toledo Walleye on Saturday night. Forwards John Wiitala and Shaw Boomhower, along with defenseman Kurt Gosselin scored the goals for Cincinnati. The Cyclones were outshot, 34-29 on the evening, with goaltenderUkko-Pekka Luukkonenstopping 26 in defeat.
Friday Night Recap:The Cincinnati Cyclones (17-6-2-0) collected a 5-2 win over the Kalamazoo Wings on Friday night, in the opener of Star Wars Weekend. Forward Ben Johnson led the way with a pair of goals and two assists, while forward Justin Vaive added two goals and one helper. Additionally, forward Pascal Aquin recorded a lone goal, and forward Jesse Schultz dished out four assists in his 1,000th professional hockey game. Cincinnati was outshot, 29-23 on the evening, with goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen steering aside 27 in the win.
Wednesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (16-6-2-0) defeated the Kalamazoo Wings, 3-2 in overtime, on Wednesday night. Forward Ben Johnson and defenseman Tobie Bisson scored the goals in regulation for the Cyclones, while forward Brady Vail scored the winner in overtime. The ‘Clones were outshot, 27-19 on the evening, with goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukonnen stopping 25 in the win.
Previewing Kalamazoo: The Wings have dropped nine of their last 11 games overall, following a 5-2 loss at the hands of the Indy Fuel on Saturday night. Kalamazoo has been outscored, 28-12 over their last six games, including 13-6 on their current three-game slide. A lot of the Wings’ success this season has been predicated on their performance on the penalty kill, as they are 5-2-1-0 when not allowing a power play goal, however they possess a 2-11-2-0 mark when the opposition scores on the man advantage. Statistically, Kalamazoo ranks 26th with 4.17 goals allowed per game, and are right below the Cyclones in goals scored at 21st averaging 2.91 goals per 60 minutes. They are led by forward Dylan Sadowy who has totalled 14 goals and 10 assists through 21 games this season. He is followed by forwards Yannick Vellieux (6g, 13a), and Kyle Blaney (4g, 12a) who round out the top three. In goal, Jake Hildebrand has a record of 4-8-1-0, along with a 3.80 goals-against average and a .874 save percentage.
Inside the Series: Sunday will be the eighth of 14 meetings between Cincinnati and Kalamazoo this season, and the third game in the last four for the Cyclones against Kalamazoo. Cincinnati is 6-0-1-0 against the Wings this season and has won six in a row, outscoring Kalamazoo, 27-12 in their six wins (30-16 overall).
Next Game Preview: Cincinnati returns to Kalamazoo on Friday night for a 7:00pm face-off.
Milestone Night: Friday night was the 1,000th professional hockey game for Cyclones forward Jesse Schultz, and he had a big game, dishing out four assists in a 5-2 win over the Kalamazoo Wings. Schultz recently recorded his 900th professional point, and currently sits at 355 goals and 560 assists across 1,001 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.
Home Cookin’: The Cyclones are the top team in the ECHL this season, posting a record of 11-1-1-0, and outscoring teams, 50-27, at Heritage Bank Center. Cincinnati tied an ECHL record with 30 home wins last season against just two regulation losses, and they outscored teams, 155-73, on home ice, which was the lowest goals-against at home in the League.
Johnny on the Spot!: Cyclones forward Ben Johnson had a pair of goals and two assists in Friday’s 5-2 win over the Kalamazoo Wings, and now has points in four-straight games (3g, 5a), and in 11 of his 12 (6g, 9a).
Deuces Wild: Forward Justin Vaive recorded his third two-goal game of the season in Friday’s 5-2 win over the Kalamazoo Wings, and he also added an assist for his fifth multi-point effort of the season.
Comeback Kids: The Cyclones posted their second two-goal comeback in the span of a week with a 3-2 win over the Kalamazoo Wings on Wednesday night. Cincinnati overcame a 2-0 deficit to take down the Indy Fuel, 3-2, last Tuesday, and now have seven come-from-behind wins on the season, including three from two-goals down. Additionally, Cincinnati is 6-2-0-0 when trailing after the first period.
Setup Man: Cyclones defenseman Tobie Bisson played a crucial part in Wednesday’s 3-2 overtime win against Kalamazoo. He scored the game-tying goal midway through the third period, and assisted on Brady Vail’s overtime winner. He now has a pair of goals and seven assists on the season, and has multi-point efforts on three occasions.
Luukkonen Named ECHL Goaltender of the Month: Cyclones goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been named the recipient of the Warrior Hockey / ECHL Goaltender of the Month for November. The rookie sensation posted a record of 6-2-1-0 and a 1.88 goals-against average along with a .925 save percentage. Hailing from Espoo, FIN, Luukkonen allowed more than two goals on just three occasions, and stopped 22 or more shots in seven of his nine contests. His month was highlighted by back-to-back shutouts on November 14 and 16, stopping all 22 shots he faced in a 1-0 win over the Allen Americans, before steering aside all 23 shots he faced in a 5-0 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets two nights later. Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres, Cincinnati’s National Hockey League (NHL) affiliate, in the second round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Luukkonen ranks second in the ECHL with a 1.82 GAA and is sixth in save percentage at .927.
Familiar Foes: The Cyclones are in the middle of a stretch of 15 straight games against their Central Division foes. This season, the Cyclones will play 52 of their 72 games against the Central Division, and currently possess a record of 13-4-3-0 against their divisional rivals.
Finding Their Stride: The trio of Justin Vaive, Darik Angeli, and Jesse Schultz have accounted for 30 goals and 38 assists over the last 21 games for the Cyclones. Schultz has points in 14 of his last 21 games (13g, 18a), and leads the team in scoring with 32 points on the season (14g, 18a). Additionally, Angeli has points in 10 of his last 16 games (5g, 9a), while Vaive has 11 goals and six assists over his last 20 outings.
Holding the Lead: Cincinnati has an 12-1-1-0 mark when scoring the game’s first goal, and they are perfect in regulation when leading through two periods this season, accounting for a mark of 12-0-1-0. They are the second-best defensive team in the ECHL, allowing 2.42 goals per game, and they lead the League with an average of 27.19 shots allowed per 60 minutes.
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!
