Matt McLeod exploded down the ice to score the game-winning-goal in overtime, helping the 'Clones top the Allen Americans, 4-3 in front of 6,050 fans inside Heritage Bank Center.
Cincinnati picks up back-to-back wins for thee first time in February, improving to 27-20-2-0 this season. The 'Clones have grabbed points in five of the last six games. Allen has fallen for a fourth straight game and are 21-22-5-1.
- The Americans struck early in the first, with JC Campagna finding an open net on a feed by Phil Beaulieu to make it 1-0 less than three minutes in.
- Fresh off of his 1,000th point, Jesse Schultz continued his strong play of late, tying the game with his 16th goal of the season 10:21 into the first. Schultz collected a pass from Justin Vaive in center, then sprung ahead on the left wing side to rip a puck past Antoine Bibeau.
- Three goals were scored 3:07 apart in the middle period, with the Cyclones giving an immediate response to Allen's short-lived lead. After Chad Costello screed on the power play to make it 2-1, The Cyclones were awarded a man advantage of their own when Allen's Josh Winquist was spotted holding Josh Burnside. It took all of 16 seconds for Vaive to get a puck to the front of the net and slam home his team leading-18th goal of the season, tying the game at two.
- In his 40th professional game, rookie Josh Burnside scored his first pro goal on a fabulous move. After motoring through center, Burnside cut by a defender in the left circle, then danced by Bibeau and shuffled the puck through the Allen goaltender to get Burnside his first of the year; doing so against the team he began his career with.
- Allen answered back 46 seconds into the third period, with Brendan Troock crashing the net to tie the game, 3-3.
- With the contest needing overtime, each club traded chances in the extra session until McLeod picked up the puck in the defensive end, then followed by racing down the right side of the ice for an end-to-end shift, resulting in the speedy winger laying a shot on Bibeau that squeaked under the net minder and past the goal line for the dramatic 4-3 finish.
- Michael Houser finished the night with 29 saves to pick up his fourth win in a Cyclones jersey this season. Bibeau turned aside 32 shots in the loss for Allen.
The Cyclones wrap up a season long-6 game homestand Sunday afternoon in their third straight meeting with the Americans.
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