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ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones

Cyclones Game Notes: Vs. Indy

December 30, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones News Release


Game 29 (Road Game 12)

Vs. Indy Fuel (8-18-1-2, 19pts)

Friday - 7:35pm ET

Indiana Farmers Coliseum - Indianapolis, IN

Full Game Notes

Overview: The Cyclones head to Indianapolis on Friday night to take on the Indy Fuel, in the front end of a home-and-home series. Cincinnati is coming off of a 4-3 loss in Ft. Wayne against the Komets on Thursday, in a game that saw the two teams combine for 92 minutes in penalties.

Last 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.

Tuesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (12-11-4-0) earned a 4-1 win over the Kalamazoo Wings on Tuesday night. Forward Brandon McNally potted a pair of goals, while forwards Dominic Zombo, and Andrew Yogan added lone tallies for Cincinnati. Goaltender Michael Houser put together another impeccable performance, turning aside 35 of the 36 shots he faced in the win.

Last Thursday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (11-11-4-0) fell to the Wheeling Nailers, 2-1, on Thursday night. Forward Nick Huard tallied the lone goal for Cincinnati, while goaltender Mark Visentin turned aside 31 in the loss.

Previewing Indy: The Fuel enter Friday night on a 14-game slide (0-12-0-2), with their last win coming in a 5-3 decision over the Kalamazoo Wings on November 23. Indy is coming off of a 4-3 shootout loss to the Quad City Mallards which snapped a 12-game point drought. Despite the recent struggles, Indy has netted 15 goals over their last five games played, including six against the Ft. Wayne Komets on Tuesday (L, 8-6). They are led by forward Alex Wideman who has accounted for 24 points (12g, 12a) through the first 28 games of the season. He is followed by recently-acquired Josh Shalla who has accounted for 23 points (15g, 8a) in 28 games between the Fuel and Wheeling Nailers, including a four-goal performance in Tuesday's 8-6 loss to Ft. Wayne. In goal, Eric Levine has shouldered the bulk of the load this season, posting a 1-11-0 record along with a 4.22 goals-against average and an .882 save percentage.

Inside the Series: Friday will be the sixth of 12 meetings this season between the Cyclones and Fuel, and fourth of five in the month of December alone. After dropping the first two games of the season to Indy, the Cyclones have won the previous three and have outscored the Fuel, 12-3, in those games (14-8 overall).

Next Game Preview: The Cyclones wrap up the 2016 calendar year on Saturday night, in the back end of their home-and-home series with the Fuel. Saturday's game also concludes a stretch of four games in five days, including a three-in-three.

News and Notes:

He's a Brick...HOUSE!: Goaltender Michael Houser has been stellar over his last six starts, allowing one goal and making 25 or more saves in five of those contests. He is currently fourth amongst ECHL goaltenders with a 2.28 goals-against average, and fifth with a .928 save percentage.

The Road Ahead: The Cyclones will be spending a lot of time on the road in the coming weeks, with 12 of the next 14 games coming away from U.S. Bank Arena, including 11-of-12 in the month of January.

Immediate Impact: Forward Shawn O'Donnell wasted little time making his presence felt in his return to the lineup on Thursday night, after having been sidelined for over a month. He recorded a "Gordie Howe Hat-Trick" (Goal, Assist, Fight) in Cincinnati's 4-3 loss to Ft. Wayne, and also finished the game with a plus-1 on-ice rating and four shots on goal.

Slump Buster: Forward Nick Huard snapped a career-long nine-game point drought with the lone goal in last Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Wheeling Nailers, before dishing out an assist in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Kalamazoo Wings. He is coming off of a stellar rookie season 2015-16 where he ranked sixth in League rookie scoring with 52 points (21g, 31a), and first in power play goals with 15. He is currently fourth on the team in scoring with 13 points (5g, 8a).

Scoresheet Staple: Forward Andrew Yogan has been a near-constant on the score sheet this season, leading the team with 27 points and scoring in all but seven games played this season. He scored a goal in Tuesday's 4-1 win over Wheeling, and has been responsible for five goals and eight assists in his last 13 games overall.

Special Play: The Cyclones' special teams have played a crucial role in recent games. Cincinnati's power play has converted on six of their last 25 chances (24%), while the penalty kill has held the opposition scoreless on their last 36 of their last 39 power plays, including an perfect 7-for-7 in Tuesday's 4-1 win over Kalamazoo.

"O" from the "D": The Cyclones have been getting major offensive contributions from the blue line in recent games, as Cyclones defensemen have accounted for 27 points (6g, 21a) in the last 12 games. Arvin Atwal (1g, 8a) and Eric Knodel (2g, 7a) are tied with nine points over that span.

Megan Debuts in The Show: Former Cincinnati Cyclones forward Wade Megan made his National Hockey League (NHL) debut last Thursday night with the St. Louis Blues in a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 26-year-old wasted little time making an impact with his new team, tallying his first NHL goal in the opening period of the game, and finishing with a plus-2 on-ice rating and a 56% face-off percentage in 9:40 of ice-time. Megan spent parts of the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons with the Cyclones, accounting for 27 points (17g, 10a) in 21 regular season games played. In 2013-14, he was named ECHL Player of the Week for the week of October 28-November 3 after netting six goals and dishing out three assists over a three-game span. A native of Canton, NY, Megan made his presence felt in the postseason for the Cyclones as well, leading Cincinnati to Game 6 of the 2014 Kelly Cup Finals where they ultimately fell to the Alaska Aces, 4 games to 2. In 22 playoff games that postseason, Megan ranked second in the League with 10 playoff goals, and added three assists for 13 total points.

Upcoming Promotions: Cincinnati closes out the 2016 calendar year on December 31 when the Indy Fuel come town. The Cyclones will be hosting a New Year's Eve Fireworks spectacular on following that night's contest, and that night will also be a $1 hot dog night, sponsored by John Morrell. Call (513) 421-PUCK (7825), visit us online at www.cycloneshockey.com, or stop by the U.S. Bank Arena box office for tickets and more information.

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, www.cycloneshockey.com !

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