ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones

Cyclones Game Preview - Cincinnati vs. South Carolina

January 17, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones News Release


CINCINNATI CYCLONES (23-10-1-1)

vs.

SOUTH CAROLINA STINGRAYS (25-9-1-2)

DATE: Friday, January 17, 2014

TIME: 7:30pm ET

SITE: U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH

BROADCAST: CyclonesHockey.com (America One), Cyclones Mobile App

NHL AFFILIATES

Cincinnati Cyclones: Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators

South Carolina Stingrays: Boston Bruins

NEXT HOME GAME (After Tonight)

Saturday, January 25 - 7:30pm vs. Wheeling Nailers

FIREWORKS NIGHT PRESENTED BY CBTS

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP: Tonight it's a clash of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference as the Cincinnati Cyclones host the South Carolina Stingrays at U.S. Bank Arena. The Clones swept the three-game series against their non-division foes last season and own a 20-7-3 all-time record in head-to-head match-ups. This Friday night meeting is the first of just two in the 2013-14 regular year.

TONIGHT'S PROMOTION: JOSH HUTCHERSON BOBBLEHEAD NIGHT - The first 2,500 fans through the gates will receive a Cyclones bobblehead of Hollywood star and Tri-State native Josh Hutcherson!

SCOUTING THE STINGRAYS: Spencer Carbery's club invades the Queen City as the top team in the Eastern Conference with a 25-9-1-2 mark. Although they've lost two straight games, their road record is among the best in the ECHL, going a remarkable 13-3-0-2 thus far away from North Charleston Coliseum. The Stingrays received a major offensive shot in the arm this week, as leading scorer Peter Boyd returned from the AHL. This season, Boyd leads the club in goals (11), assists (17), and points (28) - to go along with a +14 rating. Wayne Simpson has also been a dangerous weapon this season, ranking ninth among rookies with 20 points (10g, 10a) in 31 contests. Another big reason for their success in 2013-14 has been defense; thanks to some outstanding goaltending from Jeff Jakaitis, the Rays are allowing the fewest goals per game on average (1.97). However, the former Lake Superior State Laker has been summoned to the American Hockey League. Instead, South Carolina has traded for Allen York to tend the pipes in the interim. This year, York was 3-3-0 with the Evansville IceMen and had earned a 4.12 goals-against average.

LAST HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETING: DECEMBER 22, 2012: Behind an outstanding performance in net by goaltender Brian Foster, the Cyclones beat the Stingrays by a 2-1 final score in front of 3,559 at U.S. Bank Arena. With the victory, Cincinnati swept the Stingrays 3-0 in the 2012-13 season series.

Streaking Along: Several Cyclones players have found themselves on an offensive high lately. Anthony Luciani and Paul Crowder have each posted tallies in five straight games.

Home Sweet Home: While Cincy has been among the top ECHL teams away from home, the friendly confines of U.S. Bank Arena have been especially friendly of late. They've posted points in six of their last seven contests at 100 Broadway.

Milestone Reached: Cyclones forward Anthony Luciani reached a personal milestone last night. With a three-point showing against Elmira, the third-year pro has eclipsed 100 tallies in his career. Luciani now owns 48 goals and 53 assists.

REGULAR SEASON SERIES (1 HOME, 1 AWAY - 2 REMAINING)

Jan. 17 - South Carolina at Cincinnati 7:30pm EST

Feb. 21 - Cincinnati at South Carolina 7:00pm EST




ECHL Stories from January 17, 2014


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