Jackson Leef, who grew up in The Hoosier State, scored his first career hat trick to help the Cyclones end their winless skid with an 8-2 drubbing of the Indy Fuel on the road Saturday night.
Cincinnati ends its four game winless skid and picks up its first road win of 2022, improving to 24-19-2-0 on the season. The Fuel have dropped eight of their last 10 games and are 19-23-2-2.
- The first big moment of the game came 1:05 in, when Jack Van Boekel and Indy's Riley McKay had a glove-dropping standoff at center ice that ended with a flurry of punches from both sides. The 'Clones took advantage of the momentum boost, notching a pair of first period goals.
- Justin Vaive picked up his 200th ECHL point on a goal inside the five minute mark of period one. Andrusiak fed the Cyclones captain to drive the net and shovel it by Indy net minder Mitch Gillam. The lead was doubled less than three minutes later on a Gino Esteves thanks to Matt McLeod finding the rookie forward crashing the net, netting his 8th of the season.
- Both sides traded goals in the first half of the second period. Indy got on the board with a Darien Craighead breakaway goal, but Andrusiak responded by driving the net the other way to make it 3-1 just over five minutes into the second. The 'Clones then had a power play interrupted by McKay getting a breakaway opportunity. McKay was hauled down by Andrusiak, gifting the Indy forward a penalty shot, where McKay beat Cyclones goaltender Mat Robson on the blocker side.
- Jackson Leef scored 55 seconds after McKay's tally. The Indiana native skated over the line on the right wing side and flung a wrist shot over the glove of Gillam for the multi-goal advantage once more. Leef converted on his second goal of the game 13:27 into period two by redirecting Esteves' shot from the left circle, making the score 5-2 and chasing Gillam out of the game after allowing five goals on 27 shots.
- Cincinnati recorded another three goal period in the third, starting 11:06 in with Leef tallying a natural hat trick after he jammed a puck past Justin Kapelmaster, who came in relief of Gillam, making the score 6-2. The 'Clones then scored back-to-back power play goals 20 seconds apart. McLeod squeaked one through Kapelmaster in a 5-on-3 advantage, then Vaive followed by one-timing a puck in the slot through the wickets of the Fuel goaltender for the 8-2 final.
- Robson picked up his 11th win with the Cyclones this season making 21 saves. Gillam took the loss in goal and Kapelmaster made 10 stops in relief.
The Cyclones return home where they will close out February with a season long-six game homestand, beginning Wednesday night against the Walleye.
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