Bray Crowder scored his first professional goal and the Cyclones picked up a point for the ninth time in their last 10 games, falling 5-4 in a shootout to the Fort Wayne Komets Friday night in front of 8,849 fans at Heritage Bank Center.
With a record of 28-12-5-3, the Cyclones have 64 points and enter Saturday in a three-way tie for first in the Central Division, accompanying Indy and Toledo. Fort Wayne has won nine of its last 10 games and are 24-15-4-2 with 54 points.
- The Cyclones played perhaps their most one-sided opening period on home ice this season, outshooting the Komets, 21-5, while picking up two goals in the process.
- Justin Vaive (22) continues his scoring ways by netting a power play goal midway through the first. Zack Andrusiak slid a puck toward the net that caught a piece of Vaive, who redirected it through Komets goaltender Ryan Fanti to get Cincinnati on the board.
- After a late period between Stefano Giliati and Andrusiak, Bray Crowder channelled that energy and converted to score his first professional goal, crashing the net for a rebound with only 10 seconds left in the first.
- Matej Pekar (7) put the 'Clones up 3-0 in the second period, streaking in on a breakaway to beat Fanti in-between the legs. The goal came 7:32 into the period; moments after Lee Lapid hit the post, and just four minutes following what the Komets believed to be a goal in their favor, only for the call to get overturned upon replay review. Matt Alvaro got Fort Wayne on the board late in the second, scoring a wrist shot against Beck Warm.
- The Komets struck twice in 27 seconds to begin the third period, tying the game, 3-3 thanks to a power play goal by Sam Dove-McFalls, followed by the equalizer on a goal from Drake Rymsha, who got his stick to the left of Warm and pushed a puck in the goal after getting a pass from Oliver Cooper.
- Cincinnati regained the lead on a five-on-three power play less than five minutes later. Andrusiak (18) scored his ninth power play goal of the season when the sniper got into his office, the right-wing side, then whipped a puck between Fanti's legs to regain the advantage, making it 4-3 Cyclones.
- Shawn Boudrias returned the favor with a power play tally for the Komets at the 9:04 mark. Boudrias turned in front of Warm and scored after receiving a pass down low from Dove McFalls, allowing Fort Wayne to force overtime.
- Neither team converted in overtime, though Cincinnati had a four-on-three power play in the extra session. The game went to a shootout where Stefano Giliati scored the only goal, beating Warm in the opening round and getting his second game-winning shootout goal against the Cyclones this season. Patrick Polino, Matt Berry, and Pekar each tried for the 'Clones, but Fanti stopped all three, along with 35 saves to win the game.
- The Cyclones will play the back-half of their weekend set with Fort Wayne Komets on the road Saturday night.
