Cincinnati, Ohio - The Cincinnati Cyclones fell to the Toledo Walleye, 2-1, on Saturday night at Heritage Bank Center. On what was the organization’s Teddy Bear Toss night, the Cyclones earned a point in the standings as they continue their chase to the fourth and final seed in the Central Division.
- The game would see both teams denied from the scoresheet in the opening period of play. Cyclones netminder Jon Gillies and Toledo’s Jan Bednar stopped all 17 shots combined between the two teams. Toledo outshot Cincinnati 9-8 in the opening period.
- Neither team would break through until the second period. With 12:10 on the clock in the second period the Walleye’s leading goal scorer Brandon Hawkins opened things up with his 25th goal of the season, giving them a 1-0 lead.
- Cincinnati would eventually go down two men, with Toledo having a 5-on-3 just moments after scoring their first of the game. The Cyclones held strong, killing the penalties and only trailing by one heading into the third.
- Toledo outshot Cincinnati 11-5 in the middle period. Jon Gillies had a strong performance in tonight’s game, making 26/28 saves and being a huge contributor for Cincinnati on Saturday night.
- The Cincinnati faithful were yearning for a goal. Despite failing to capitalize on multiple power plays, the Cyclones refused to go away quietly. Cincinnati finally broke through with Kyle Bollers picking the corner to even the score at 1-1.
- Bollers scored the goal that sent 10,718 teddy bears on the Heritage Bank Center ice. All bears will go to Cincinnati Police, Cincinnati Fire, and Matthew 25 Ministries for children in need in the Cincinnati area.
- The game would require overtime. Cincinnati would fail to capture the extra point with Tyler Spezia scoring the game winner with 30 seconds left in OT. Despite a valiant effort from Gillies, Spezia handed Toledo their third win of the season against Cincinnati.
The Cyclones will have a few days off before returning to Heritage Bank Center on Wednesday night against the visiting Iowa Heartlanders. It will be another $2 Beer Night with a scheduled puck drop time of 7:35 p.m. ET. All games are streamed on FloHockey and the Cyclones Radio Network.
Call (513) 421-PUCK for tickets and more information and stay on top of all the latest team updates and information on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com.
###
