For Immediate Release: December 27, 2019
Game 30 (Home Game 14)
Vs. Kansas City Mavericks (11-15-2-0, 24 pts)
Friday, December 27, 2019, 7:35pm ET
Heritage Bank Center - Cincinnati, OH
Overview: The Cyclones get back to work following their holiday break on Friday, when they take on the Kansas City Mavericks. Cincinnati enters the unofficial start of the second half of the season atop the ECHL’s Central Division, and have points in seven-straight games, including win in five of them (5-0-2-0).
Saturday Night Recap:The Cincinnati Cyclones (19-6-4-0) took down the Ft. Wayne Komets, 3-2 in overtime, on Saturday night. Forwards John Wiitala and Ben Johnson scored the goals in overtime, while defenseman Kurt Gosselin scored the winner in overtime for the ‘Clones. Cincinnati won the shot battle, 32-27, with goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopping 25 in the win.
Last Friday 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.
Last 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.
Previewing Kansas City: The Mavericks enter Friday having lost three in a row and seven of their last eight, and are coming off a 5-2 home loss to the Tulsa Oilers on Saturday night. KC has had a lot of success on special teams this season, ranking ninth on the power play at 18.7% and seventh on the penalty kill at 84.3. Additionally, the Mavericks are is tied for fourth with six shorthanded goals. They are led offensively by forward Rocco Carzo who has accounted for 19 points on 11 goals and eight assists. He is followed by a trio of 17-point scorers in forwards Mitch Hults and Brian Lemos (6g, 11a each) and Justin Woods (3g, 17a). In goal, Nick Schneider leads the ECHL with 1,117 minutes played, and has a record of 7-10-2-0 along with a 3.17 goals -against average and a .888 save percentage.
Inside the Series: Friday is the lone meeting between the Cyclones and Mavericks 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. Overall , Cincinnati and Kansas City have met 14 times, with the Cyclones posting a 7-6-1-0 mark in those contests.
Next Game Preview: Cincinnati heads to Toledo on Sunday night to take on the Walleye, in the third of 10 meeting this season. Cincinnati has won both of this season’s matchups by a combined score of 8-4, and the sides will meet again on February 7.
Power Surge: The Cyclones got major contributions from their power play last weekend, scoring five goals on their 13 chances. Cincinnati went 3-for-5 in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Kalamazoo Wings on Friday before going 2-for-8 in Saturday’s 3-2 overtime victory against the Ft. Wayne Komets. The Cyclones are now 13th in the ECHL with a 16.9% conversion rate (20/118).
Home Cookin’: The Cyclones are one of the top home teams 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 margin at home in the League.
Strong D: Cincinnati is second in the ECHL with 2.48 goals allowed per game, and pace the League with 27.48 shots against per 60 minutes. The Cyclones have allowed two or few goals in 10 of their last 14 games, and have given up more than three on just six occasions. They are 18-3-1-0 this season when allowing three or fewer goals.
Lending a Helping Hand: Forward Brady Vail is riding a five-game assist streak, dishing out six helpers in that time. He has points in six-straight overall, (1g, 6a), and is fourth on the team in assist with 13.
Streaky Behavior: Forward Jesse Schultz has points in six-straight games, accounting for a pair of goals and eight assists in that time. He leads the team and is tied for second in the ECHL with 34 points (15g, 19a), and has a season high four points on two occasions 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: December 13 was the 1,000th professional hockey game for Cyclones forward Jesse Schultz. The 37-year-old 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 561 assists across 1,003 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.
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 1.97 GAA and is fourth in save percentage at .924.
Holding the Lead: Cincinnati has an 13-1-2-0 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 13-0-2-0.
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!
