ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones

Cyclones Hold Onto Second

Published on December 14, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones News Release


COMING UP: The Cincinnati Cyclones, the ECHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators, play four important games that will be the final contests before the holiday break. The week begins with a Tuesday night clash against North Division rival Toledo. That 7:30pm tilt will be played at U.S. Bank Arena on a 'Big Beer Tuesday' with 24 ounce cans of beer priced at two dollars each. Immediately following the game, the Cyclones hit the road and play at Trenton on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. The first two games will be played at 7pm and the Sunday contest will start at 4pm. All four games will be carried on the club's website at: www.cycloneshockey.com.

WEEK IN REWIND: The Cyclones went 1-1 on the week, playing the East Division leading Reading Royals both times. Cincinnati's five game winning streak ended in Sunday's defeat.

NEW FACES: Forward Max Lacroix played his first games as a Cyclone last weekend. The Hamilton Bulldog assigned player netted 31 goals in helping South Carolina to a Kelly Cup championship last season. Forward Mark Van Guilder made his season debut with the club over the weekend as well. Van Guilder scored 26 goals for the Cyclones last season and is on assignment by the Milwaukee Admirals.

ABOUT SUNDAY AFTERNOON...: The Cyclones dropped a 4-2 decision to Reading on Sunday afternoon. The Royals scored twice in the opening three minutes of the game to set the tone for the game. Mike McLean had a pair of assists, while Dwayne Zinger and Ryan Del Monte had the goals.

ABOUT SATURDAY NIGHT...: The Cyclones used goals 30 seconds apart in the second period last night to grab a 3-2 win over the East Division leading Reading Royals. Dustin Sproat had a goal and an assist and Brett Robinson had a pair of assists to lead the attack. Robert Mayer stopped 24 shots to collect his sixth win of the year.

RETURN OF THE NO GOAL PATROL!: The Cyclones penalty killing unit which has killed 28 of the last 31 shorthanded situations faced in the last five games--has also scored a pair of shorthanded goal in the process. The Cyclones rank second in the ECHL in penalty kill at 85.5 percent. Cincinnati is also second in the league with nine shorthanded goals scored.

ATTENDANCE NUMBERS STRONG: The Cyclones are averaging 3986 per game through the first twelve contests at U.S. Bank Arena, which ranks eleventh in the ECHL. The club has already drawn the second-largest (10,920 for Throwback Night on November 6) and fourth-largest (8944 for Education In Hockey Day on November 17) regular season crowds in team history. Attendance at Cyclones games is up 28.4 percent over last year's season average and was up 69.7 percent over the first twelve games of a year ago. The club has drawn 47,827 through the turnstiles in the first third of the home schedule. Last season, the club did not draw that many people through the first half of the season.

CLIMBING HIGH...: When the Cyclones returned to hockey in 2006-07, they finished 25th of 25 teams in attendance at 1844 per game. During the 2007-08 Kelly Cup march, the squad attracted 2523 per game--an increase of 36.8 percent. That percentage was the greatest of any team playing minor pro hockey. Last year, the team attracted 3104 per game--an increase of 23 percent, second-best in all of minor pro hockey.

CH-CH-CH-CHANGES...: The Cyclones have employed 18 different lineups this season in the first 24 games. Cincinnati has lost players for 56 games through call ups and 84 games due to injury. The club is averaging having six players out per game due to injury and call ups. Last season, the Cyclones used 45 different lineups and in the four seasons Chuck Weber has been coach, the squad has utilized 160 different lineups (in 240 games).

WE LOVE HOME COOKING!: The Cyclones have won nine games at U.S. Bank Arena this season, tied with three other teams for second-most in the ECHL. Bakersfield (eleven wins) is the only other club in the league with more home wins than Cincinnati. Since April 1 of last season, the Cyclones are 12-3 at home (.800 winning percentage) and since January 10, the squad is 22-8 at U.S. Bank Arena (.733).

BUT WE'RE ONLY AT HOME WHEN WE ARE ON THE ROAD: The Cyclones have played twelve road games (tenth-most) in 2009-2010. Cincinnati has won 65 road games between the regular season and playoffs since the start of the 2007-08 season--most of any team in the league.

STREAKING: Since the night before Thanksgiving (November 25), the Cyclones have limited their opponents to 21 goals in those nine games (an average of 2.33 per game). The offense has contributed 28 goals (an average of 3.11 per contest). Cincinnati has a 7-2 record during this stretch.

BOUNCING BACK: The Cyclones have not lost back-to-back games in regulation time yet this season. In fact, the club has only had one stretch of more than consecutive games without a win and that was a three-game run (0-2-1) from November 7-14. The last time the club lost back-to-back regular season games in regulation time was Jan. 6 & 9 of last season. Sixty games have been played since then without this occuring.

IT'S ALWAYS BETTER ON TOP!: The Cyclones have crept within three points of the North Division leaders Kalamazoo. While Cincinnati has not led the North yet this season, the two-time defending division champions have led 261 days under Head Coach Chuck Weber.

EHGOETZ MOVES UP: Cyclones center Barret Ehgoetz has spent the last five seasons playing on teams coached by Chuck Weber. In 2005-06, Ehgoetz played with Utah and then-assistant coach Weber. When the coach elevated his title and took the top job in Cincinnati--one of the first players contacted was Ehgoetz. The fifth-year player from Kincardine, ON has flourished and on December passed Sheldon Gorski for the club's career games played lead (223 games). Ehgoetz already holds the career assist record (123) and shorthanded goals mark (five). Barret ranks second on the list in points (188), goals (65), shots (554) and plus/minus (+45).

WE DON'T DO OVERTIME MUCH...: The Cyclones became the last team in the American Conference to reach overtime this season. Cincinnati and Las Vegas have each played two overtime contests this season, fewest in the ECHL. The Cyclones are the only team in the league to have all their overtime decisions settled by shootout--everyone else has had a game won or lost in the overtime session preceeding it.

COACHES SHOW: The Coors Light Cyclones Coaches Show originates each Monday night from Jefferson Hall at Newport on the Levee. Head Coach Chuck Weber joins Nick Brunker each week from 7-8pm. This week, former Notre Dame teammates Brock Sheahan and Mark Van Guilder will be the guests.

PLAYER APPEARANCE ON DECEMBER 28: The Cyclones will have a pair of players at the Meijer location on Harrison Avenue in Dent on Monday, December 28 from 6pm-7:30. This autograph session is free and open to the public.

DEKANICH HONORED: Goaltender Mark Dekanich, who was on assignment to Cincinnati for the games on December 4-5, earned ECHL Reebok Goaltender of the Week honors. Dekanich permitted one goal between the two games and picking up the victories. He becomes the seventh player in the Chuck Weber era to earn ECHL Player/Goaltender of the Week kudos.

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