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Cincinnati Cyclones

Cyclones Game Notes: Vs. Wichita

January 4, 2017 - ECHL (ECHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones News Release


Game 31 (Road Game 13)

Vs. Wichita Thunder (11-15-0-1, 22pts)

Wednesday - 8:05pm ET

INTRUST Bank Arena - Wichita, KS

Overview: The Cyclones begin a busy month of January on Wednesday night in Wichita, in the first of 11 road games in the month of January, and the first of a three-game trip this week. Cincinnati is coming off of a 3-2 win over the Indy Fuel on Saturday night, and now have garnered points in six of their last nine games.

Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (13-13-4-0) took down the Indy Fuel, 3-2, on Saturday night. Defenseman Troy Vance, along with forwards Jordan Sims and Brandon McNally tallied the goals for the Cyclones, who snap their two-game skid. The Cyclones outshot Fuel, 43-27 on the night, with goaltender Michael Houser steering aside 25 in the win.

Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (12-13-4-0) fell to the Indy Fuel, 3-2, on Friday night. Forwards Peter LeBlanc and Shane Walsh tallied the goals for Cincinnati.The Cyclones outshot Indy, 37-23 on the evening, including 18-1 in the third period, with goaltender Michael Houser stopping 20 in the loss.

Thursday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (12-12-4-0) fell to the Ft. Wayne Komets, 4-3, on Thursday night. Forwards Seth Ambroz, Shane Walsh, and Shawn O'Donnell tallied the goals for the Cyclones. Thursday's game was a particularly chippy affair as well, with the two sides combining for 92 minutes in penalties. The Cyclones outshot Ft. Wayne, 32-30, with goaltender Mark Visentin stopping 26 in the loss.

Previewing Wichita: The Thunder enter Wednesday's contest having dropped seven in a row, while being outscored, 38-8 in that stretch. They are coming off of a pair of 5-3 losses to the Tulsa Oilers on Saturday and Sunday that wrapped up a four-game-in-five-day stretch. Despite the struggles, the Thunder have seen some success on special teams, as they are tied for the League lead with eight shorthanded goals including seven at home. Forward Alexis Loiseau leads the Thunder with 24 points (14g, 10a) through 24 games, followed by the recently-acquired Nathan Moon who has six goals and 11 assists in 28 games between the Thunder and Rapid City Rush. In goal, Drew Owsley tops Wichita's active goaltenders with a 3-7-0-1 record along with a 3.20 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.

Inside the Series: Wednesday marks just the second all-time meeting between the Cyclones and Thunder, with Cincinnati taking last season's lone contest, 6-1, prior to the Christmas break. The two sides will meet twice more in February, when the Thunder make their first-ever trip to U.S. Bank Arena.

Next Game Preview: The Cyclones continue their three-game road trip on Friday night in Quad City against the Mallards. The Cyclones are 2-2-1 against the Mallards this season, and will meet three more times after Friday night.

News and Notes:

Knodel Named to ECHL All-Star Team: The ECHL has announced the participants for the upcoming 2017 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic, presented by I LOVE NY, and amongst the players named to the team is Cyclones defenseman Eric Knodel. The midseason exhibition will take place on Wednesday, January 18, in Glens Falls, NY, and will feature the host Adirondack Thunder against the ECHL All-Stars. A native of West Chester, PA, Knodel is fifth on the team in scoring with four goals and 11 assists through 30 games this season. He is also tied for the team lead with a plus-8 on-ice rating. The 2017 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic, presented by I LOVE NY, will feature the host Adirondack Thunder taking on the ECHL All-Stars in a non-traditional format featuring 5-on-5, 4-on-4, and 3-on-3 play, as well as a Skills Competition (Puck Relay, Hardest Shot, Fastest Skater) to highlight the talents of both teams. The game will also air LIVE exclusively on NHL Network.

O'Donnell Signs PTO with Milwaukee: The Milwaukee Admirals, American Hockey League Affiliate (AHL) of the Cincinnati Cyclones have signed Cyclones forward Shawn O'Donnell to a Professional Tryout Agreement (PTO). O'Donnell has appeared in 17 games this season with the Cyclones and has accounted for six goals and eight assists in that time.

Cyclones Sign Nowakowski: Cincinnati Cyclones Head Coach Matt Macdonald has announced that the team has signed forward Dylan Nowakowski to a Standard Player Contract (SPC). Nowakowski returns to Cincinnati after spending the 2016 Training Camp with the Cyclones. He has appeared in 23 games this season with Huntsville Havoc of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) where he ranks second in the League in scoring with 25 points (14g, 11a). He turned pro late in the 2015-16 season, appearing in eight games with the Havoc and accounting for a pair of goals and four assists. Prior to turning pro, The Calgary, AB native spent four season at St. Scholastica College where he skated in 110 games and totaled 40 goals and 79 assists in that span.

He's a Brick...HOUSE!: Goaltender Michael Houser had a stellar month of December, posting a 6-2-0-0 record along with a 1.61 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage. He was charged with making 25 or more saves on six separate occasions, and allowed one goal in five of his eight games played. Currently, Houser ranks fourth in the ECHL with a 2.31 GAA and fifth with a .925 save percentage.

The Road Ahead: The Cyclones will be spending a lot of time on the road in the coming weeks, with 11 of the next 12 games coming away from U.S. Bank Arena. The Cyclones are 4-8-0-0 on the road this season, and have been outscored 37-31 in road games.

Shooting Gallery: Forward Shane Walsh is currently second amongst ECHL rookies with 102 shots on goal this season. He has registered a shot on goal in seven straight games, and has accounted for 17 shots in his last four games played (2g).

Get Ahead, Stay Ahead: The Cyclones enter the week with an 11-1-3 record when leading after one period and a 12-1-2 mark when leading after 40 minutes.

Stay Connected!: Follow the latest news on Twitter (@CincyCyclones), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and more! Also, for all of the latest news and notes, head over to www.cycloneshockey.com.

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, addde0a7ccf379c 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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