Cyclones Late Rally Not Enough, Fall to Chicago 5-3
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Illinois – A late-game rally by the Cincinnati Cyclones (1-4-0-2) was snuffed out by the Chicago Express (7-3-0-0), as they held on to win a 5-3 affair at Sears Centre on Friday night.
Cincinnati drew first blood when Chris Cahill slammed in a rebound for a power play goal at the 8:52 mark, giving the Cyclones a 1-0 lead. However, the Express churned back with a pair of goals; Yannick Tifu angled a shot past Cyclones netminder Tyler Plante (L, 21 saves, 0-1-0-2) to knot the score at 11:13. Then, at 17:23, Nathan Lutz sent a point blast past Plante for the go-ahead goal heading into the first intermission.
Early in the middle frame, the Express extended their cushion when Tyler Donati cannoned in a power play goal at the 2:46 mark to give his team a 3-1 lead. And despite another pair of Cyclones man-advantages in the second period, they couldn’t light the lamp and Chicago held the two-goal edge after 40 minutes of play.
Chicago continued to pad its lead in the third period when Pierre Luc-Faubert wristed home his fifth goal of the season, making it 4-1 Express at the 3:40 mark. But Cincinnati then sprung to life; at 8:46, Joel Champagne picked up a turnover and potted his second goal of the season to pull the Cyclones within two. Daniel Koger made it 4-3 at 12:55 with a deflection-style goal, beating Chicago goaltender Rob Nolan (W, 34 saves, 4-3-0-0). In the final minute, Cincinnati pulled Plante in hopes of tying the game but Chaz Johnson picked up a loose puck along the boards and spun a shot into the empty net for a 5-3 score with just over one second to play. Chicago won it by the same score.
"We had the start we were looking for but got away from it as the game went along," said Cyclones Head Coach Jarrod Skalde. "We're a young team and there's no reason we can't put 60 minutes together. It's all about consistency. If one guy takes a shift off, it affects the other four guys on the ice."
The Cyclones Radio Network Three Stars of the Game are as follows:
First Star: Tyler Donati (1 goal, 1 assist for Chicago)
Second Star: Yannick Tifu (1 goal, 1 assist for Chicago)
Third Star: Anthony Luciani (2 assists for Cincinnati)
The Cyclones will return to U.S. Bank Arena tomorrow night for Military Appreciation Night against the Trenton Titans at 7:30pm. Cincinnati will wear specialty jerseys that will be auctioned off after the game in addition to FREE Cyclones Car Magnets given to every fan in attendance. Secure your seats now by calling 513.421.PUCK or log on to CyclonesHockey.com. Fans can also get the latest team updates throughout the season on Facebook and Twitter (@CincyCyclones).
