CYCLONES 5, Wheeling 1

CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Defending Kelly Cup Champion Cincinnati Cyclones concluded their brief two-game preseason slate with a 5-1 thumping of the Wheeling Nailers at Northland Ice Center on Saturday night.

The Cyclones controlled the play in the opening frame, outshooting the Nailers 11-5 in the first period and it showed.  In fact, Wheeling didn’t record their first shot on net until the 9:42 mark.  Matt Pierce opened the scoring for Cincinnati at 8:51, burying a shot from the bottom of the right circle, making it 1-0 Cyclones.  Wheeling returned with a goal of their own 13:04 into the frame as Andrew Orpik poked a loose puck past Cyclones goalie Marc Cheverie (W, 26 saves, 1-0-0).  However, the home team regained the lead just over two minutes later, at 15:18, as Matt Butcher beat Wheeling goalie Patrick Killeen (L, 27 saves, 1-1-0) through the legs, making it 2-1 Cincinnati after 20 minutes of hockey.

Unlike last night, where the Cyclones were unable to sustain consistent offense, on Saturday they kept the foot on the gas pedal for the full 60 minutes.  Just 1:02 into the middle frame, Dylan Hunter notched his first goal as a Cyclone by sniping a shot past Killeen’s glove-side shoulder.  With a 3-1 lead heading into the second intermission, the Cyclones never looked back.

In the third period, Cincinnati got a pair of insurance goals from a pair of new faces.  Defenseman T.J. Fast connected on a strong point shot at the 14:42 mark for a power play goal, giving the Cyclones a 4-1 lead.  Rookie forward Sam D’Agostino finished the scoring (and a strong training camp) with his first professional goal at 18:37.

Cyclones netminder Marc Cheverie had a strong showing in his first ECHL start, turning aside 26 of 27 Wheeling shots and a penalty shot in the third period.

The Cyclones finished with a 32-27 lead in the shots on goal department.  They were 1-for-7 with the power play.  Wheeling finished the night 0-for-3 with the man advantage.

With the preseason now behind them, the Cyclones will open up regular season play on the road next Friday, October 15 against the Elmira Jackals at 7:35pm.  Friday’s game will be broadcast LIVE on CyclonesHockey.com.

The defending Kelly Cup Champion Cyclones open their home schedule on Saturday, October 30 at U.S. Bank Arena against the Wheeling Nailers.  Discounted ticket packages and single game tickets for the 2010-2011 season are available now.  For more information, call 513.421.PUCK (7825) or visit CyclonesHockey.com

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