For Immediate Release: January 24, 2020
Game 42 (Road Game 22)
Vs. Wheeling Nailers (17-18-4-0, 38 pts)
Friday, January 24, 2020, 7:05pm ET
WesBanco Arena - Wheeling, WV
Last Game Highlights| Last Game Postgame Remarks
Overview: The Cyclones head to Wheeling, WV, to begin a two-game series against the Nailers beginning on Friday night, in their first game out of the All-Star Break. Cincinnati is coming off of back-to-back wins over the Rapid City Rush last weekend, and have been victorious in five of their last seven games overall. The Cyclones currently lead the Central Division and are second overall in the Western Conference with a mark of 25-10-6-0 for 56 points.
Sunday Afternoon Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (25-10-6-0) earned their 25th win of the season on Sunday afternoon, taking down the Rapid City Rush, 3-1. Forwards Jesse Schultz, Cody Milan, and Nate Mitton scored the goals for Cincinnati. The Cyclones outshot the Rush, 23-22, with goaltender Michael Houser stopping 21 in the win.
Saturday Night Recap:The Cincinnati Cyclones (24-10-6-0) used five third period goals to take down the Rapid City Rush, 6-3, on Saturday night. Forward Jesse Schultz led the way with a pair of goals, while forwards Nate Mitton, Pascal Aquin, and Brady Vail, along with defenseman Justin Baudry each netted lone tallies for Cincinnati, who overcame a 3-1 deficit to secure the win. . The Cyclones outshot Rapid City, 30-14 on the evening, with goaltender Michael Houser stopping 11 in the win.
Last Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (23-10-6-0) dropped a 4-1 decision to the Ft. Wayne Komets on Friday night. Defenseman Justin Baudry scored the lone goal for the Cyclones, who limit the opposition to under 28 shots for the 11th consecutive game. The Cyclones dominated the shot totals on Friday night, outshooting Ft. Wayne, 36-12, on the evening, including 16-6 in the second, and 14-2 in the third. Cincinnati goaltender Michael Houser stopped eight shots in defeat.
Previewing Wheeling: The Nailers enter the weekend in fifth place in the ECHL’s Central Division, three points back of the Indy Fuel who are in fourth. They have dropped six of their last seven games, and are coming off a 4-1 loss at the hands of the Indy Fuel on Saturday night. The Nailers have been struggling to find the offense as of late, having been outscored, 33-13, in their last seven outings, including 32-9 in their six losses during that stretch. They are led offensively by forward Yushiroh Hirano, who has accounted for 10 goals and a team-leading 18 assists through 37 games. He is followed by forwards Cam Brown (9g, 17a) and team-goals leader Brandon Hawkins (13g, 10a) who round out the top three. In goal, Jordan Ruby leads all active netminders with a 3.26 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage, to go along with a 4-6-2-0 record.
Inside the Series: This is the fifth meeting of the season between Cincinnati and Wheeling, with the Cyclones holding 2-1-1-0 edge though the first four games of the 10-game season series. Starting with Friday’s contest, four of the final six games will be played in Wheeling.
Next Game Preview: Cincinnati and Wheeling conclude their two-game weekend series on Saturday night in Wheeling. Face-off is scheduled for 7:05pm ET.
Schmidt Claimed off Waivers: The Cyclones have claimed defenseman Connor Schmidt off of waivers from the Kalamazoo Wings. The Flat Rock, MI, native has appeared in 13 games for Kalamazoo this season, dishing out a pair of assists in the process. He split last season between the Toledo Walleye and the Huntsville Havoc of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), accounting for 11 goals and six assists in 43 combined games between the two teams. He began his pro career in 2017-18, skating in 26 games for the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers and recording five assists. Prior to turning pro, the 26-year-old played collegiately for Utica College in 2016-17, following stints at Arizona State University and Ferris State University. Overall in 93 collegiate games, Schmidt totaled five goals and 17 assists, along with 131 minutes in penalties.
Scoresheet Staples: Forwards Jesse Schultz and Brady Vail have found themselves on the scoresheet more often than not in recent games. Schultz is riding a six-game point streak, accounting for four goals and five assists in that time, while Vail has points in five straight and in 15 of his last 17 games overall, amassing four goals and 15 assists in that span.
PK Climbing: The Cyclones penalty kill has risen to sixth in the ECHL, having successfully killed off 85.2% (132/155) of oppositional power plays. Cincinnati has killed off 37-of-40 opponent power plays in 2020, and have allowed five power play goals on their last 51 shorthanded chances overall.
Strong D: Cincinnati is second in the ECHL with 2.51 goals allowed per game, and pace the League with 25.78 shots against per 60 minutes. The Cyclones have allowed 27 shots or fewer in 13-straight games. The Cyclones have allowed two or fewer goals in 16 of their last 25 games, and have given up more than three on just nine occasions. They are 24-4-4-0 this season when allowing three or fewer goals.
Home is Where the Wins Are:The Cyclones are one of the top home teams in the ECHL this season, posting a record of 15-3-2-0 on home ice, and are outscoring teams, 70-42, 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.
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 358 goals and 564 assists across 1,012 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.
Holding the Lead: Cincinnati has an 16-2-2-0 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 18-0-2-0.
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!
