For Immediate Release: December 21, 2019
Game 29 (Road Game 16)
Vs. Ft. Wayne Komets (15-9-3-0, 33 pts)
Saturday, December 21, 2019, 7:35pm ET
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum - Ft. Wayne, IN
Overview: The Cyclones head to Ft. Wayne on Saturday night to take on the Komets, in their final game before the holiday break. Cincinnati is coming off a 6-5 overtime loss to the Kalamazoo Wings on Friday night, extending their point streak to six games in the process (4-0-2-0). Cincinnati now leads the ECHL Central Division by seven points over the Komets.
Last Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (18-6-4-0) fell to the Kalamazoo Wings, 6-5 in overtime, on Friday night. Forwards Shaw Boomhower, Justin Vaive, Nate Mitton, and Jesse Schultz, along with defenseman Kurt Gosselin scored the goals for the Cyclones, who tied a season-high with three power play goals. Shots were tied, 37-37, with Cyclones goaltender Michael Houser stopping 31 in the loss.
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 Johnson led the way with a pair of goals, while forwards John Wiitala and Cody Milan each 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.
Last Saturday 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 Luukkonen stopping 26 in defeat.
Previewing Ft. Wayne: The Komets have dropped four of their last five games, and are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Indy Fuel on Friday night. Ft. Wayne ranks fourth in offense with 3.85 goals per game, however they have been limited to three or fewer goals in four of their last six games. The Komets also come in fourth on the power play, having converted on 24.2% of their chances (30/124). Their 30 power play goals are second in the ECHL. Forward Brett McKenzie leads all active skaters with eight goals and 18 assists for 26 points. He is followed by forwards Shawn St-Amant (14g, 11a) and Shawn Szydlowski (6g, 19a) who each have 25 points. In goal, Cole Kehler has a record of 8-4-1-0, along with a 2.98 goals-against average and an .895 save percentage.
Inside the Series: Saturday is the fourth of seven meetings between the Cyclones and Komets this season, with Cincinnati posting a 2-0-1-0 mark in the first three games. The Cyclones have outscored the Komets, 12-7, and Saturday will be the final meeting in Ft. Wayne until the final game of the season on Sunday, April 5.
Next Game Preview: Cincinnati returns home following the holiday break to take on the Kansas City Mavericks on Friday night, in the lone meeting between the two teams this season. The two sides met four times in 2018-19, with the Cyclones posting a 3-0-1-0 mark in those contests.
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, 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.
Aquin Recalled to Rochester: The Rochester Americans, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Cyclones have recalled forward Pascal Aquin. This will be the second reassignment for Aquin this season, who skated in 10 games with the Americans from November 13-December 7, accounting for a goal and an assist in that time. Aquin has appeared in 14 games for Cincinnati this season, totaling a goal and four assists, along with 13 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.
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 356 goals and 560 assists across 1,002 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.
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 third in the ECHL with a 1.98 GAA and is fifth in save percentage at .923.
Finding Their Stride: The trio of Justin Vaive, Darik Angeli, and Jesse Schultz have accounted for 32 goals and 40 assists over the last 23 games for the Cyclones. Schultz has points in 15 of his last 22 games (14g, 18a), and leads the team in scoring with 33 points on the season (15g, 18a). Additionally, Angeli has points in 11 of his last 16 games (5g, 9a), while Vaive has 12 goals and six assists over his last 21 outings.
Holding the Lead: Cincinnati has an 12-1-2-0 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 12-0-2-0. They are the second-best defensive team in the ECHL, allowing 2.59 goals per game, and they lead the League with an average of 27.50 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!
