For Immediate Release: December 29, 2019
Game 32 (Home Game 15)
Vs. Greenville Swamp Rabbits (15-16-0-1, 31 pts)
Tuesday, December 31, 2019, 6:05pm ET
Heritage Bank Center - Cincinnati, OH
Overview: The Cyclones close out 2019 at home on Tuesday night against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, in their annual New Year’s Eve game. The Cyclones are coming off a 6-3 loss at the hands of the Toledo Walleye on Sunday night, and have now lost back-to-back games in regulation for just the second time this season. Cincinnati still holds down the top spot in the ECHL’s Central Division, and now sit five points ahead of the Toledo Walleye who are in second.
Sunday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (19-8-4-0) fell to the Toledo Walleye, 6-3, on Sunday night. Forward John Edwardhscored a pair of goals for the Cyclones, while defenseman Justin Baudry recorded a lone tally for the Cyclones. The Cyclones outshot Toledo, 38-27 on the evening, with goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen steering aside 21 in the loss.
Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (19-7-4-0) fell to the Kansas City Mavericks, 3-2, on Friday night. Forwards Shaw Boomhower and Brady Vail scored the goals for the Cyclones, who see their point streak snapped at seven games. Cincinnati outshot the Mavericks, 36-18, with goaltender Michael Houser steering aside 15 in the loss.
Last 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.
Previewing Greenville: The Swamp Rabbits enter Tuesday tied with the Orlando Solar Bears for third place in the ECHL’s South Division, 11 points back of the Florida Everblades who are in second. Greenville is 4-6-0-0 in their last 10 outings and have dropped three of their last four, following a 4-1 loss at the hands of the Atlanta Gladiators on Sunday afternoon. They are one of the best teams in the ECHL when playing with the lead, posting a perfect 8-0-0-0 mark when leading through 20 minutes, and they are 11-0-0-0 when ahead through two periods. They rank 12th in the ECHL with 3.22 goals scored per game, however are 21st in goals against at 3.61. Following the call-up of rookie forward and leading scorer Liam Pecararo who has totalled 33 points (18g, 15a), forward Nathan Perkovich leads all active players with eight goals and 15 assists through 27 games this season. He is followed by forwards Patrick Bajkov (13g, 9a) and Michael Pelech (7g, 15a) who each have 22 points. In goal, Ryan Bednard leads the way with a record of 8-9-0-0, along with a 3.14 goals against average and a .905 save percentage.
Inside the Series: This will be the first of three meetings this season between the Cyclones and Greenville, and the first of two games in Cincinnati. The Cyclones and Swamp Rabbits met once last season, with Cincinnati earning a 9-0 win on November 13.
Next Game Preview: The Cyclones head to Indy to take on the Fuel on Thursday night, in the sixth meeting of 11 on the season. Each team has a record of 3-3-0-0, and after Thursday, three of the final four meetings will be played in Cincinnati.
Aquin Returns to Cincinnati: The Rochester Americans, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Cyclones have reassigned forward Pascal Aquin back to Cincinnati. Called up for a second time on December 20, Aquin has appeared in 14 games for the Americans, accounting for a goal and four assists in that time. He has skated in 14 games with the Cyclones as well, posting a goal and a pair of helpers.
Vail Signs Second PTO with Rochester: The Rochester Americans, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Cyclones, have signed Cyclones forward Brady Vail to a Professional Tryout Agreement (PTO) for the second time this season. Vail signed his first PTO on November 20, and appeared in seven games with the Americans this season, accounting for a goal and an assist in that time, before being returned to Cincinnati on December 8. Since his return, he has skated in six games for the Cyclones, accounting for two goals and eight assists. Overall, in 22 games for Cincinnati this season, Vail has amassed three goals and 13 assists.
Power Surge: The Cyclones power play has goals in three of the last four games, scoring on six of their 24 chances in that span. The Cyclones are now 15th in the ECHL with a 16.3% conversion rate (21/129).
Home Cookin’: The Cyclones are one of the top home teams in the ECHL this season, and suffered just their second regulation home loss on Friday in a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Kansas City Mavericks. Cincinnati has a record of 11-2-1-0 on home ice, and are outscoring teams, 52-30, 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 third in the ECHL with 2.61 goals allowed per game, and pace the League with 27.16 shots against per 60 minutes. The Cyclones have allowed two or few goals in 10 of their last 16 games, and have given up more than three on just seven occasions. They are 18-4-1-0 this season when allowing three or fewer goals.
Streaky Behavior: Forward Jesse Schultz saw his seven-game point streak snapped in Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Toledo Walleye. He accounted for a pair of goals and nine assists in that time, and leads the team and is third in the ECHL with 35 points (15g, 20a), and has a season high four points on two occasions this season.
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 13-2-2-0 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!
