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Cincinnati Cyclones

Cyclones Game Notes vs. WHEELING

October 22, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones News Release


Overview: The Cyclones wrap up their three-game homestand on Saturday night against the Wheeling Nailers. Cincinnati is looking for their first win of the young season, having dropped their first three games thus far.

Tuesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (0-3-0-0) fell to the Toledo Walleye, 5-0, on Tuesday night. It marked the first shutout for the Cyclones since March 9, 2015. Cyclones netminder Mark Visentin stopped 26 of the 31 shots he faced.

Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (0-2-0-0) fell to the Indy Fuel, 2-1, on Saturday night at U.S. Bank Arena. Forward Dominic Zombo scored the lone goal for the Cyclones, who are swept in the weekend hone-and-home with Indy. The Cyclones outshot Indy on the night, 24-21, with netminder Mark Visentin stopping 19 in a losing effort.

Last Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (0-1-0-0) fell to the Indy Fuel on Friday night in their season opener by a score of 3-1. Forward Eric Robinson tallied the lone goal for the Cyclones. Cincinnati outshot Indy, 34-21 on the evening, with Cyclones netminder Mark Visentin stopping 18 in the loss.

Previewing Wheeling: The defending Eastern Conference champion Nailers are coming off of a 4-3 loss to the Reading Royals on Thursday and currently sit in fourth place in the ECHL's North Division. Saturday marks Wheeling's third game of the season, and the Nailers only play five in the month of October. Through two games Wheeling is led by forward Jordan Kwas who has totaled a goal and two assists, followed by former Cyclone Josh Shalla (2g), and defenseman Ethan Prow (2a) who each have two points.

Inside the Series: This is the first of four regular season meetings between Cincinnati and Wheeling this year, as the Cyclones won both of the preseason matchups with the Nailers in earlier this month. Wheeling took three of the four meetings last season, including a three-goal, third period comeback in early November.

Next Game Preview: Cincinnati hits the road for a three-game series with the Manchester Monarchs starting next Friday. This will be the first all-time meeting between the two teams, as Manchester is entering its second full season in the League.

TOP STORYLINES

Yogan Returns: The Cyclones re-signed forward Andrew Yogan prior to Tuesday's loss to Toledo. He returns for his third stint with the Cincinnati Cyclones after spending 10 games early this season with HC Bolzano in Europe totaling a goal and six assists in that time. Yogan was a large piece to Cincinnati's success last season as he totaled 43 points (15g, 28a) in 34 games for the Cyclones. He also saw time with the Iowa Wild, St. John's IceCaps, and Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League (AHL) where he accounted for four goals and seven assists in 35 games. Yogan spent four games of 2014-15 season in Cincinnati as well and amassed seven points (2g, 5a) in that time.

Houser Reassigned: The Cleveland Monsters, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets have reassigned goaltender Michael Houser to the Cincinnati Cyclones. In order to accommodate the move, the Cyclones have released rookie goaltender Steve Racine. Houser is no stranger to Cincinnati, as he spent 41 games with the Cyclones during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. During that time he posted a record of 22-16-3, along with a 2.39 goals against average and a .920 save percentage. He appeared in 17 games in the 2013 Kelly Cup Playoffs for Cincinnati as well, turning out a 9-5-3 record with a 2.24 GAA and .915 SV%. He split last season between the Manchester Monarchs, and the Ontario Reign of the AHL where he posted a combined record of 20-13-4 along with a 2.63 GAA and a .907 SV%.

Dropping the Gloves: Defenseman Arvin Atwal and forward Shawn O'Donnell participated in the first two fights of the Cyclones' season in last Saturday's loss to the Indy Fuel. Atwal is in his first year of pro hockey, having racked up 285 penalty minutes over his 225 game Western Hockey League (WHL) career, while O'Donnell has amassed 234 minutes in penalties over the course of his five-year pro career.

Loads of Experience: This past offseason, the Cyclones added a wealth of experience to their lineup, adding close to 800 games of combined American Hockey League (AHL) experience. Leading the way is forward Peter LeBlanc who has skated in 261 AHL games, accounting for 132 points (60g, 72a). He is followed by Kenny Ryan who has appeared in 239 AHL contests, totaling 77 points in those contests, and Justin Vaive who has 58 points in 208 AHL games.

Key Returner: Forward Nick Huard is the Cyclones' top returner this season. He is coming off of a stellar rookie season where he ranked sixth in League rookie scoring with 52 points (21g, 31a), and first in power play goals with 15.

Cyclones Add Wellar: In the offseason Patrick Wellar was named the Cyclones' new Assistant Coach, replacing Cam Keith who left to take the head coaching position with the Trail Smoke Eaters of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). Wellar joins the Cyclones' staff after a successful 12-year pro-hockey career, which included three ECHL Kelly Cup championships and a Calder Cup championship in the American Hockey League (AHL). Wellar has spent the last two seasons with the Utah Grizzlies and Alaska Aces as a player-assistant coach, and in 747 professional games over his 12-year career, the former defenseman racked up 1,223 penalty minutes over the course of his 747-game pro career. He was also responsible for 39 goals and 140 assists for 179 career points.

Cyclones Move East: In the offseason, the ECHL announced their divisional realignment plan for the 2016-2017 season. As a result of this plan, the Cyclones will now be members of the Eastern Conference's South Division. The move marks a return to the Eastern Conference for Cincinnati, who spent last season in the Western Conference as members of the Midwest Division. The Cyclones will be joining the Atlanta Gladiators, Florida Everblades, Greenville Swamp Rabbits, Norfolk Admirals, Orlando Solar Bears, and South Carolina Stingrays. Cincinnati's former divisional foes Ft. Wayne, Indy, and Quad City remain in the Western Conference as members of the new Central Division. Cincinnati has five games against their new divisional rivals- two with Atlanta (11/18 in Cincinnati and 1/14 in Atlanta), two with Greenville (1/15 and 4/7 in Greenville) and one with South Carolina (4/8 in South Carolina). The Cyclones skated in nine games against South Division teams in 2015-2016, compiling a 3-5-1-0 record in those contests.

The 2016-17 season is underway, and the Cincinnati Cyclones want you along for the ride as they march towards another Kelly Cup Championship! 2016-17 single game tickets and packages along with group and Season Ticket Packages are available NOW! Call 513.421.PUCK to reserve your seats. Fans can also get the latest team updates on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com !

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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