ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones

Cyclones Game Notes: Vs. Elmira

Published on February 10, 2017 under ECHL (ECHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones News Release


Game 47 (Home Game 24)

Vs. Elmira Jackals (9-32-5-0, 23pts)

Friday - 7:35pm ET

U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH

Full Game Notes

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Overview: The Cyclones collected their third win in a row with a 5-1 win over the Elmira Jackals on Wednesday night. Friday's game marks the second of a four game in five day stretch, and the first of three games in three days.

Wednesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (21-21-4-0) climbed back to .500 with a 5-1 win over the Elmira Jackals on Wednesday night. Forward Jordan Sims recorded his first-career hat trick, with forwards Andrew Yogan and Dylan Nowakowski adding lone tallies for the Cyclones, who collect their third win in a row. Cincinnati outshot the Jackals 33-24 on the night, with goaltender Michael Houser stopping 23 in the win.

Last Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (20-21-4-0) earned a 5-2 win over the Indy Fuel on Friday night. Forwards Dylan Nowakowski, Shane Walsh, Seth Ambroz, and Brandon McNally, along with defenseman Jonathan Diaby tallied the goals for the Cyclones, who have now won two in a row. Cyclones netminder Michael Houser was stellar for a second consecutive night, stopping 39 of the 41 shots he faced to collect the win.

Last Thursday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (19-21-4-0) earned a 4-3 overtime win over the Wheeling Nailers on Thursday night. Forwards Jordan Sims, Nick Huard, Dylan Nowakowski, and Andrew Yogan scored the goals for the Cyclones, who snap their four-game losing skid. Cincinnati was outshot, 43-22 on the night, with goaltender Michael Houser stopping 40 in the win. It was another successful night for Cincinnati's power play, as they converted on 67% of their chances.

Previewing Elmira: The Jackals head into Friday's matchup having dropped 10 in a row, while having been outscored 45-17 on their current skid. Despite the struggles, they have been in some close battles as five of their ten consecutive losses have been decided by two or fewer goals. They are led by forward Sebastian Sylvestre who has accounted for 31 points (14g, 17a) in 41 games this season. He is followed by the recently-acquired Sam Povorozniouk (14g, 8a), and forward Miles Koules (4g, 16a). In goal, they are led by former Cyclone Andy Iles who has posted a record of 5-17-3 to go along with a 3.64 goals-against average and .892 save percentage in 27 games played.

Inside the Series: Friday marks the season finale between the Cyclones and Jackals, with Cincinnati taking game one on Wednesday. Wednesday was the first time the two team have met since Elmira took a 4-1 decision back on February, 6 2015. Cincinnati holds a 25-19-1-3 record in the all-time series.

Next Game Preview: Cincinnati welcomes in the Ft. Wayne Komets on Saturday night, in the fifth of eight meetings this season. The Komets are 3-1-0-0 in the first four games.

HEADLINES

Hats Off!: Forward Jordan Sims recorded his first pro hat trick and dished out an assist ion Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Elmira Jackals. He is currently riding a five-game point streak, accounting for a four goals and five assists in that time, and has totaled six goals and seven assists in his last eight games.

They Grow Up So Fast: Rookie forward Dylan Nowakowski extended his goal-scoring streak to three games in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Elmira Jackals. He netted his first ECHL goal in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Wheeling Nailers before potting his second ECHL marker and dishing out an assist 24 hours later in Friday's 5-2 decision over the Indy Fuel. Nowakowski has appeared in 15 games for the Cyclones this season, and has accounted for a three goals and an assist, along with a plus-7 on-ice rating.

Power Surge: The Cyclones netted a pair of power play markers in last Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Wheeling Nailers, and have converted on seven of their last 25 man-advantage opportunities over the last six games (28%).

Lighting it Up: Forward Nick Huard has been enjoying some offensive success as of late accounting for three goals and five assists in his last eight games, and has points in 10 of his first 15 games in the new year (6g, 7a).

Green Light from the Blueline: The Cyclones received some major offensive contributions from their defensive corps in the last six games, combining for four goals and nine assists in that time. Leading the way is Saverio Posa with a goal and a pair of assists, while both Eric Knodel and Craig Dalrymple have each accounted for a goal and an assist. Arvin Atwal and Dan Johnston has dished out a pair of assists, while Jonathan Diaby (G) and Jaynen Rissling (A) have added lone points.

Cyclones Re-Sign Minella: Cincinnati Cyclones Head Coach Matt Macdonald has announced that the team has signed forward Christiaan Minella to a Standard Player Contract (SPC). Minella appeared in 71 games for the Cyclones during the 2015-16 season, accounting for 14 goals and 8 assists in that time. A native of Cincinnati, OH, Minella has spent the bulk of his pro career in the ECHL, accounting for 63 goals and 53 assists, along with 284 penalty minutes in 306 games between the Cyclones and Wheeling Nailers. He has also skated in eight games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL). Prior to turning pro in 2010, the 31-year-old enjoyed a successful four-year career at the University of Notre Dame, where he totaled 33 points (12g, 21a) in 113 career games. He helped lead the Fighting Irish to Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) championships in 2007 and 2009, and NCAA tournament appearances in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

It's Good to be Home: After playing 11-of-12 games on the road in January, the Cyclones are getting ready to embark on a 12-of-16 stretch on home ice in February. The Cyclones are 12-6-4-0 at home this season, averaging 3.00 goals per game on in their first 22 home games. Cincinnati also boasts the League's seventh- best penalty kill at home, having killed of 56/67 oppositional power plays (86.6%).

Defensive Front: The Cyclones currently boast one of the top defenses in the ECHL, as they currently rank fourth in goals allowed per game with 2.91 and fifth in shots allowed with 29.43 allowed per 60 minutes.

Holding the Lead: The Cyclones have made a habit of holding onto leads this season, as they are 16-1-3-0 when leading after 20 minutes, and 18-1-2-0 when leading after two periods of play.

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.

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