Zack Andrusiak scored with 47 seconds left in three-on-three overtime to nab the Cyclones a wild, 5-4 win over the Kalamazoo Wings in front of 8,201 fans for the home finale of the regular season at Heritage Bank Center.
Cincinnati finished the home portion of the regular season with a 23-8-3-2 record and own a 46-14-6-3 record. With 101 points, the Cyclones need only one more standings point to clinch the Central Division title for the first time since 2019.
- The massive crowd at Heritage Bank Center got loud early when Brandon Yeamans started the party by dropping the gloves with Kalamazoo's Connor Fedorek 8:11 into the first. Yeamans' fight sparked the crowd and the Cyclones bench. After killing a penalty assessed to Louie Caporusso, the veteran forward exited the box, joining Josh Passolt on an odd-man rush. Passolt streaked down the right wing before firing a shot through Hunter Vorva for his 23rd goal of the season at the 11:01 mark.
- Lee Lapid (11) doubled the Cyclones' advantage thanks to the hard work of Zach Berzolla, who earned a pair of assists on the night. Berzolla carved his way through Kalamazoo's defense for a breakaway, then chased his own rebound around the boards beforeagain creating space in the left-wing circle. From there, the defender ripped a puck at Vorva, with Lapid knocking it between his legs 15:49 into the second period. Kalamazoo's David Keefer responded 19 seconds later with a shot from the left dot that beat Mark Sinclair to cut the deficit at 2-1 going into the third.
- Saturday's final period of regulation was frenetic, with Kalamazoo and Cincinnati going back-and-forth throughout the frame. The Wings started by tying the game 62 seconds into the third, with Luke Morgan sending the puck by Sinclair on an awkward angle, making it 2-2.
- Lapid potted his second goal of the night and 12th of the season at the 9:15 mark on a power play, ending an 0-for-17 drought on the man advantage. Lapid was stretched by Jalen Smereck for a breakaway where he deposited a heavy wrist shot to regain the lead for the 'Clones. That advantage lasted less than two minutes as Morgan imitated Lapid, scoring his second goal of the game on a shot from the slot.
- Zack Andrusiak joined Justin Vaive as the second 30-goal scorer on the Cyclones when he put the team ahead with 3:45 left in regulation. Louie Caporusso tapped the puck to Andrusiak, who maneuvered down-low and into the slot to bury the wrister past Vorva. Again, Kalamazoo fired back. The Wings earned a power play in the final 20 seconds of regulation when Lapid was assessed a slashing penalty. With the goalie pulled and a six-on-four advantage, A point shot was knocked down in front of Sinclair, where Wings Captain Justin Murray crashed the crease and jammed the puck through with only 7.1 seconds left, forcing the game into overtime at a 4-4 score.
- Kalamazoo outshot Cincinnati 6-4 in the extra session, but Sinclair dazzled in a number of situations, as Kalamazoo swam in the attacking zone for minutes at a time. Sinclair stood tall, and in the final minute of overtime Smereck found Lapid to cross into the zone with Andrusiak for a two-on-one. Andrusiak (31) darted to the net front, where he shuffled to his backhand, putting it in the back of the net and sending the Heritage Bank Center crowd into a frenzy.
- Sinclair returned from AHL-Belleville to make 30 saves and earn his 19th win of the season.
- The 'Clones round out the 2022-23 regular season with a three-game road trip, beginning on Easter Sunday against Indy.
