For Immediate Release: December 20, 2019
Game 28 (Road Game 15)
Vs. Kalamazoo Wings (7-14-3-0, 17 pts)
Friday, December 20, 2019, 7:00pm ET
Wings Event Center - Kalamazoo, MI
Overview: The Cyclones are back in Kalamazoo on Friday night to take on the Wings, in the penultimate game before the holiday break. Cincinnati earned a 4-1 win over the Wings on Sunday afternoon to extend their lead over the Toledo Walleye to seven points in the ECHL’s Central Division.
Sunday Afternoon Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (18-6-3-0) earned a 4-1 win over the Kalamazoo Wings on Sunday afternoon, in the finale of four games in five days for Cincinnati. Forward Ben Johnsonled the way with a pair of goals, while forwardsJohn Wiitalaand Cody Milaneach chipped in one for Cincinnati, who push their point streak to five games (4-0-1-0). The Cyclones outshot Kalamazoo, 37-26, with goaltender Sean Romeo stopping 25 in the win
Saturday 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 goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopping 26 in defeat.
Last 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.
Previewing Kalamazoo: The Wings have dropped 10 of their last 12 games overall, following a 4-1 loss at the hands of the Cyclones on Sunday afternoon. Kalamazoo has been outscored, 32-13 over their last seven games, including 17-7 on their current four-game slide. A lot of the Wings’ success this season has been predicated on their performance on the penalty kill, as they are 5-3-1-0 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 21st in goals for averaging 2.83 goals per 60 minutes. They are led by forward Dylan Sadowy who has totalled 14 goals and 10 assists through 22 games this season. He is followed by forwards Yannick Vellieux (6g, 13a), and Kyle Blaney (5g, 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: Friday will be the ninth of 14 meetings between Cincinnati and Kalamazoo this season, and the fourth game in the last five for the Cyclones against Kalamazoo. Cincinnati is 7-0-1-0 against the Wings this season and has won seven in a row, outscoring Kalamazoo, 31-13 in their seven wins (34-17 overall).
Next Game Preview: Cincinnati heads to Ft. Wayne on Saturday night to take on the Komets. Cincinnati has won two of the first three games of the seven-game season series, and this will be the final meeting in Ft. Wayne until the season finale on April 5.
Johnson Named ECHL Player of the Week: Cyclones forward Ben Johnson has been named the Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week for the week of December 9-15. The Calumet MI, native accounted for five goals and four assists last week for Cincinnati, helping the ‘Clones to a 3-01-0 record in their four games. Johnson started his week off with a goal and the game-tying assist in Wednesday’s 3-2, come-from-behind overtime win over the Kalamazoo Wings. He had his biggest contributions of the week on Friday night, when he lit the lamp twice and dished out two more helpers in a 5-2 win over the Wings. The 25-year-old was not done, and added another assist on Saturday night in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Toledo Walleye, before adding two more goals in Sunday afternoon’s 4-1 road win over the Wings. Drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the third round of the 2012 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft, Johnson is on a five-game point streak, totaling five goals and five assists in that time, and he is second on the Cyclones in scoring with 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points. His 11 goals are tied for second and his 14 assists are third, and he has six multi-point efforts this season.
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.
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 last Wednesday night. Cincinnati overcame a 2-0 deficit to take down the Indy Fuel, 3-2, on December 3, 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.
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.
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 13-0-1-0. They are the second-best defensive team in the ECHL, allowing 2.37 goals per game, and they lead the League with an average of 27.15 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!
