ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones

Cyclones Kick Off Six Game Homestand

Published on February 23, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones News Release


COMING UP: The Cincinnati Cyclones, the 2008 Kelly Cup champions, play four games at U.S. Bank Arena this week. Cincinnati (30-19-5) starts the fourth quarter of the season as co-leaders of the North Division of the American Conference.

PROMOTIONS: Tuesday (Feb. 24) is a Big Beer Tuesday with 24 ounce Labatts beers sold for two dollars each. Wednesday (Feb. 25) is a Wet Wednesday with selected domestic beers priced at one dollar each. The Reading Royals will provide the opposition for these games. Friday (Feb. 27) it is Nashville Predators Night and Donato's one dollar pizza slices. Saturday (Feb. 28) it is Go Green Night with one dollar pulled pork sandwiches. Elmira will visit the Cyclones for these two games. Tickets are priced at ten dollars each and can be purchased at the U.S. Bank Arena Box Office.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS NIGHT: The Cyclones will wear replica Nashville Predators jerseys for the game Friday night. Immediately following the game, fans will have a chance to purchase the jerseys off the players backs in an auction. Proceeds from the jersey auction will benefit A Kid Again.

FIRST PLACE CYCLONES!: The win on February 3 vaulted the third place Cyclones into first place in the North Division for the first time since the end of the 2007-08 regular season. Cincinnati sat in the division lead for 93 days in 2006-07, for 132 days in 2007-08 and now 18 days in 2008-09. The 243 days are the most by any team in the North Division over the past three years. After dropping out of the top spot for two days earlier in the week, Cincinnati regained first place Friday night.

SHRINKING UP: The Cyclones defensive half of the special teams--the penalty kill, has been strong in recent days. The shorthanded crew has killed 71 of the last 85 power plays presented to the opposition (83.5 percent) over the last sixteen games. Cincinnati has improved to 21st in the league on the penalty kill at 78.9 percent (220 of 279).

ABOUT SATURDAY NIGHT...: For the tenth time this season and second time in as many nights, the Cyclones rallied from a deficit to pull out a 2-1 triumph over Dayton. Mike Salekin's power play goal in the second period tied the scores and Ben Gordon's shorthanded score in the third period proved to be the game winner. Ryan Nie stopped 25 shots to register the victory.

ABOUT FRIDAY NIGHT...: Cyclones rookie Mark Van Guilder recorded a hat trick and Ian McKenzie netted a pair of goals in a 5-3 win over Dayton. Ben Gordon registered three assists. Chris Ferazzoli and Matt Syroczynski each had two assists in the triumph. Cincinnati rallied from a two goal deficit in the second period for the triumph. Ryan Nie stopped 30 shots in picking up the win.

COMEBACK!: The Cyclones rallies this weekend marked the ninth and tenth times this season that Cincinnati has registered a comeback win. Last season, the squad recorded 25 of them and in the three seasons under Chuck Weber, the club has 48 of them. The two goal deficit erased Friday was the third the club has 2008-09. The others were the November 30 triumph at Trenton and the February 8 victory at Mississippi. Six of the comeback triumphs have occurred since Christmas.

ELEVEN OVER!: With the victory Saturday night, the Cyclones have moved to a season-best eleven games above .500 (30-19-5). The last time Cincinnati was eleven or more games above .500 was at the close of the 2007-08 season--when the club captured the Brabham Cup for the ECHL's best record at 55-12-5, which was 43 games above break even.

CHUCK HAS BEATEN THEM ALL: With the win on February 13, Cyclones Head Coach Chuck Weber has now defeated all 16 teams Cincinnati has been scheduled to play in regular season play in the three years that he has been in charge. With South Carolina and Las Vegas added to the totals in the postseason, Weber has victories over 18 all ECHL teams his clubs have been scheduled to play. The only teams he has not defeated--are the only squads he has not played--Alaska, Gwinnett, Idaho, Ontario, Phoenix, Utah and Victoria.

ROAD WARRIORS: The Cyclones are 17-10-1 (.625 winning percentage) on the road. The 17 wins are the second-most in the ECHL, as only Florida (18) has more. Cincinnati was a perfect 7-0 away from U.S. Bank Arena during January. Cincinnati has won eleven of its last 15 road games. The Cyclones are 15-5 in away games since Thanksgiving.

SECOND HALF UNDERWAY: Cincinnati has a 10-4 record to start the post-All-Star Game portion of the year. In 2007-08, the Cyclones went 29-4-2 (.857 winning percentage) after the All-Star break. The club is 59-23-7 (.702) since the 2008 All-Star Game.

NIFTY NIE: Goaltender Ryan Nie won his first nine decisions as a member of the Cyclones, setting the club record for most wins from the start of his career with the team--the streak ended with the loss at Florida on February 11. Lance Leslie won his first five decisions with the Louisville River Frogs from Oct. 16-31, 1997. Leslie would go 5-0-1 before dropping his first verdict. Steve Briere also accomplished the five wins from Oct. 19-Nov. 4, 2001. Briere would lose his sixth decision and finished the season 10-12-4. Nie is 12-2 with a 2.74 goals against average and an .892 save percentage since joining Cincinnati.

CH-CH-CH-CHANGES...: The Cyclones welcomed defensemen Brett Beauchamp and Mark Van Vliet and forward Chris Ferazzoli to the lineup Friday night, making them the 46th, 47th and 48th players to dress for the club this season. Last year, a total of 46 different players appeared in games for Cincinnati en route to the Kelly Cup championship. The Cyclones have now employed 34 different lineups this season.

ATTENDANCE NUMBERS UP: The Cyclones have drawn 76,152 to the first 26 games at U.S. Bank Arena this season, an average of 2928--which is 19th in the ECHL. Through the first 26 games of last season, the club drew 59,074--an average of 2272. Cincinnati did not reach 76,152 until the 34th home game of 2007-08--reaching 78,562 through those 34 dates, an average of 2309 as of March 19, 2008. Attendance this season is up 28.9 percent over the first 26 dates of a year ago--when the Cyclones had the highest percentage increase in attendance (36.8 percent) of any pro hockey team in North America. That percentage increase is the highest among minor league teams (Tulsa-CHL 28.3% ranks second).

MORE ATTENDANCE: While the top four teams in minor hockey attendance improvement are more than 20 percent better, attendance in minor league hockey has fallen three percent over 2007-08. Despite this trend, the Cyclones have increased attendance by 656 fans per home game, tied for second-best in minor league hockey. Cincinnati's 656 fans per game is the biggest improvement in the ECHL (Dayton is up 285 per game to rank second). The top per game average increases in minor league hockey are: Tulsa-CHL 1155, Cincinnati-ECHL and Springfield-AHL 656, Bridgeport-AHL, 532).

FAMILY FOUR PACK ON SALE!: The Cyclones Family Four Pack is now on sale. For $69 (including all handling fees), you get four tickets to any Cyclones regular season game, four hot dogs, four Pepsis, four Cyclones winter caps, four ice skating passes to SportsPlus and a SportsPlus game card. Valued at more than $150--this is a package that has something for everyone! Call the Cyclones Sales Department at 513-421-7825, x. 3 to order yours.

TICKETS! GET YOUR TICKETS!: Tickets for all Cincinnati Cyclones games can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 513-562-4949 or by using their website at: www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the window day of the game. Season ticket packages can also be obtained by contacting the Cyclones offices at 513-421-PUCK (7825) x. 3.

MILLER LITE CYCLONES COACHES SHOW: The Miller Lite Cyclones Coaches Show will be held Mondays from 7-8pm at Jefferson Hall at Newport on the Levee. Head Coach Chuck Weber and a pair of players are present at the show each week. This week defensemen Chris Clark and Mark Van Vliet are the guests.

NEXT RADIO GAME: The next MAX-FM (97.7 and 99.5) game is Friday, March 6 at 6:45pm at Reading.

WEBER REACHES CENTURY MARK: Head Coach Chuck Weber picked up his 100th regular season victory on November 29. Now in his third season directing the Cyclones, Weber has a 122-60-16 mark (.657 winning percentage). The win on November 30 allowed Chuck to pass Warren Young for the club lead in regular season wins. Young needed three full seasons to post his 100-86-24 (.533) record. Weber has 106 of those wins against North Division competition.

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ECHL Stories from February 23, 2009


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