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ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones

Cyclones Game Preview: vs. Wheeling Nailers

March 20, 2019 - ECHL (ECHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones News Release


Game 63 (Home Game 32)

Vs. Wheeling Nailers (28-27-6-2, 64 pts)

Wednesday - 7:35pm ET

U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH

Overview: The Cyclones continue their five-game homestand on Wednesday evening against the Wheeling Nailers, with a chance to clinch the Central Division title. A win OR and overtime or shootout loss for the Cyclones will earn them their first division championship since the 2012-13 season. Cincinnati holds a 19-point lead over the Toledo Walleye for first place in the Central Division, and are two points ahead of the Florida Everblades for top spot in the ECHL overall.

Saturday Night Recap:The Cincinnati Cyclones (45-10-4-3) earned a 3-0 win over the Kalamazoo Wings on Saturday night. Forwards Brady Vail and Mike Marnell, along with defenseman Eric Knodel netted the goals for the Cyclones, whole goaltender Michael Houser stopped all 28 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season. Shots in the game were tied, 23-23, while the Cyclones penalty kill was a perfect 3-for-3.

Friday Night Recap:The Cincinnati Cyclones (44-10-4-3) took down the Wheeling Nailers, 5-1, on Friday night. Forward Alex Wideman led the way with a pair of goals, while forwards Vas Glotov, Pascal Aquin, and Jesse Schultz netted lone tallies for the Cyclones, who extend their winning streak to four games. Cincinnati was outshot, 23-20 on the evening, with goaltender Ty Rimmerstopping 22 in his Cyclones debut.

Last Wednesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (43-10-4-3) earned a come-from-behind, 5-4 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets on Wednesday night. Forwards Jesse Schultz, Myles Powell, Mike Marnell, and Brady Vail, along with defenseman Kurt Gosselin netted the goals for Cincinnati, who overcame a three-goal, third period deficit to pick up the win. Cincinnati outshot Ft. Wayne, 35-20 on the evening, with goaltender Michael Houser stopping 16 in the win.

Previewing Wheeling: The Nailers enter Wednesday tied with the Indy Fuel for fifth place in the ECHL's Central Division, four points back of the Kalamazoo Wings in fourth. Wheeling has lost two in and are 4-4-1-1 in their last 10 games, and are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Toledo Walleye on Saturday night. Wheeling is in the top 10 in goals scored per game at 3.38, shots against at 30.05, power play conversion rate at 20.3%, and they lead the ECHL with 18 shorthanded goals. They are led by forward Zac Lynch who has accounted for 15 goals and 41 assists through 58 games this season, followed by forwards Yushiroh Hirano (16g, 33a) and Renars Krastenbergs (16g, 23a). In goal, Jordan Ruby has an 11-7-1-2 mark along with a 2.84 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.

Inside the Series: Wednesday will serve as the final game of and eight-game season series between Cincinnati and Wheeling. The Cyclones have a 6-1-0-0 record through the first seven games, including a 5-1 win on Friday night.

Next Game Preview: Cincinnati wraps up their five-game homestand on Thursday night against the Toledo Walleye. It will mark the seventh of nine matchups this season between the two, with the Cyclones posting a 4-1-1-0 record through the first six contests.

Division Title on the Line : A win OR an overtime or shootout loss on Wednesday night against the Wheeling Nailers will clinch the Central Division championship for the Cyclones. Cincinnati last won a division title during the 2012-13 season, ultimately falling to the eventual Kelly Cup champion Reading Royals in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cyclones have won three division championships since returning to play in 2006-07 (2007-08, 2008-09, 2012-13), and have a pair of Kelly Cup championships in 2008 and 2010.

Home Sweet Home: The Cyclones are in the midst of a five-game homestand, and currently have the League's best home record at 26-1-2-2. Their one regulation loss is the fewest in the ECHL, and Cincinnati has a League-high 138 goals scored at home, as well as a League-low 62 goals allowed. The Cyclones have seen special teams success at home as well, ranking fourth at home on the power play at 20.0% (27/135), and fifth at home on the penalty kill at 85.5% (100/117).

Point Men: Forward Brady Vail has found the score sheet in 11 of his last 12 games, accounting for eight goals and eight assists in that time. Forward Jesse Schultz has accounted for points in 12 of his last 15 games, totaling seven goals and 16 assists in that time, and he leads the ECHL in scoring with 73 points (20g, 53a). Forward Vas Glotov has points in 12 of his last 16 games, totaling seven goals and 11 assists, while forward Alex Wideman has accounted for nine goals and 10 assists in his last 19 games, and is second on the team with 22 goals and 37 assists. Finally, forward Pascal Aquin has points in seven of his last 10 games (4g, 7a) and is tied for third in League rookie scoring with 24 goals and 30 assists.

League Leaders: Cincinnati currently boasts a pair of League-leaders in forward Jesse Schultz and goaltender Michael Houser . Schultz currently paces the ECHL in both points (73) and assists (53) and has also added 20 goals. Houser currently leads the League in wins with 26, fewest losses with five, goals-against average at 2.08, and is for fourth in save percentage at .921. He is 19-2-2 in his last 22 games, allowing two or fewer goals in 14 of them and pitching a pair of shutouts. Houser was also named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Month for December after a perfect 6-0-0-0 record along with a 1.17 goals against average and a .950 save percentage.

Man Advantage: The Cyclones are 26 for their last 81 on the power play and now ranks 14th in the ECHL with a 17.7% conversion rate on the power play (47/270).

Good in All Areas: The Cyclones boast the League's top offense, averaging 4.00 goals per game, and the top defense, having allowed a miniscule 2.35 goals per 60 minutes and outscoring teams 248-146. Starting and finishing games have been a specialty for Cincinnati, as they have a League-leading 91 first period goals while only allowing 45, and have allowed 40 goals in the third period. Cincinnati is outscoring the opposition, 79-40, in the final 20 minutes of play, and are 32-1-0-2. when leading through two periods. They have given up more than three goals in regulation just nine times this season.

Cyclones Clinch Playoff Spot: The Cyclones are the first team to clinch a spot in the 2019 Kelly Cup Playoffs presented by Smile Direct Club. This will the 10th trip to the postseason for the Cyclones since the 2006-07 season, and the third berth in the last four seasons. Cincinnati has two Kelly Cup Championships to their credit; a 4 games to 2 series win over the Las Vegas Wranglers in 2008, and a 4 games to 1 victory over the Idaho Steelheads in 2010. The Cyclones made a third trip to the Kelly Cup Finals in 2014 where they lost to the Alaska Aces in six games.

Knodel Named AMI Graphics ECHL Plus Performer of the Month: Cincinnati Cyclones defenseman Eric Knodel has been named the recipient of the AMI"ˆGraphics ECHL"ˆPlus Performer of the Month for February, after posting an on-ice rating of plus-16 through 13 games during the month. He joins forward Alex Wideman, who was co-recipient of the AMI"ˆGraphics ECHL"ˆPlus Performer of the Month in December. Knodel posted an even or better rating in 12 of his 13 games during the month, including pair or plus-four games- an 8-1 road win over the Maine Mariners on February 8, and a 5-4 overtime victory against Adirondack on February 17. He ranks second among ECHL"ˆdefensemen, and sixth overall in the league, with a plus-39 rating this season, and is also tied for second among blueliners with 15 goals and is also tied for second with 44 points.

Packed Schedule: The Cyclones are in the midst of a stretch of 29 games in 59 days. Cincinnati will play three games in three days on four separate occasions during that time, a pair of four-game-in-five-days stretches, two stretches of seven-games in 10 days, and one of 10 games in 17 days.

Welcome Matt Thomas: The Cyclones enter the 2018-19 season with a new head coach. In early August, Cincinnati hired Matt Thomas as the team's new bench boss. He replaced Matt Macdonald who was named assistant coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins; American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. A native of Maple Ridge, BC, Thomas has extensive head coaching experience in the ECHL, spanning 11 seasons with the Atlantic Boardwalk Bullies, Fresno Falcons, and Stockton Thunder from 2002-2013. Thomas served two seasons as an assistant coach with Atlantic City, including helping the Boardwalk Bullies to a Kelly Cup Championship in 2003, before assuming the role of head coach and Director of Hockey Operations with the team prior to 2004-2005. He compiled a 42-22-8 mark in his lone season as Atlantic City's bench boss, and served as the head coach for the 2005 ECHL All-Star Game. He then moved on to Fresno prior to the 2005-06 campaign, leading the Falcons to a 43-15-14 mark along with a trip to the Western Conference Finals. Over the next two seasons in Fresno, Thomas compiled a 76-41-17 record, with trips to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs on both occasions. He coached the Falcons during the first half of 2008-09, leading the team to an 18-10-2 mark before the team ceased operations midseason. Thomas was not out of work for long however, as he was named head coach of Stockton shortly after, and finished the year with a record of 22-16-3, and a trip to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Thomas went on to coach the Thunder for four more seasons, amassing a mark of 141-111-36, reaching the post season each year, including a trip to the 2013 Kelly Cup Finals. He enters the 2018-19 campaign as the ECHL's sixth-winningest coach with a career record of 342-225-80, just one win back of fifth place all time. He is also the all-time leader in playoff games coached with 97, and ranks third with 49 playoff wins.

The 2018-19 season is HERE, and the Cincinnati Cyclones want YOU along for the ride! Single game, Group, and Season Tickets are on sale NOW by calling (513) 421-PUCK! Stay on top of all the latest team updates and information on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!

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