CYCLONES GAME PREVIEW

Cincinnati Cyclones (18-14-0-4)
vs.
Evansville IceMen (11-22-3-2)

Click here for tonight's game note packet

DATE: Friday, January 23, 2015
TIME: 7:30pm ET
SITE: U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH
BROADCAST: Cyclones Radio Network, ECHL.TV

NHL AFFILIATES
Cincinnati Cyclones: Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators
Evansville IceMen: Ottawa Senators

NEXT HOME GAME (After Tonight)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 24 - 7:30pm vs. KALAMAZOO
HOCKEY BUDDY NIGHT

Tonight's Matchup: After the three-day All-Star Break, the Cyclones officially begin their push to the Kelly Cup Playoffs as the second half begins tonight against the Evansville IceMen. Cincinnati took all three meetings with their Hoosier State foes this past week and now have earned wins in five of the six get-togethers in the season series.

Tonight's Promotion: Parrothead Night - The first 1,500 fans through the gates will receive an exclusive Cyclones Beach Towel courtesy of 7UP. Plus, the Cyclones will wear specialty jerseys that pay homage to Jimmy Buffett. They will be auctioned off after the game!

Scouting the IceMen: Al Sims’ club has now lost five consecutive games and finds itself tied with the Indy Fuel in the basement of the North Division standings. Brandon Wong, who tallied a pair of assists on Monday night, leads the club in scoring with 30 points (13g, 17a) in 36 games this season. Kale Kerbashian and Matt Lowry have been consistent offensive weapons as well, with 28 and 25 points respectively. Chris Driedger is the leading man between the pipes this season for the IceMen, amassing a 7-16-1-1 record with a 3.56 goals-against average. Scott Greenham, meanwhile, has gone 1-3-1 this year with a GAA of 3.39 and has lost both of his head-to-head meetings with Cincinnati.

Last Time Out: Geoff Irwin’s goal at 2:19 of overtime capped off another late rally for the Cyclones, who defeated the IceMen by a 4-3 final score in front of 2,910 at Ford Center on Monday night. It was the second time this season that Cincinnati won a game in the extra session.

First Period Tells the Tale: The Cyclones have truly set their fate in the first period of games this season. When either leading or tied after 20 minutes of play, the Clones are 17-3-0-2 opposed to a 1-11-0-2 record when trailing through a single frame.

Plenty of Heroes: The proverbial game puck has gone to many different players this season, with 12 different Cyclones registering the game-winning goal. Byron Froese, Branden Gracel, Geoff Irwin, Christiaan Minella, Chris Reed, and Stephan Vigier are all tied for the team lead with two such strikes.

Season Series at a Glance (11 games - 8 home, 3 away - 5 remaining):
Cincinnati's 2014-15 Record vs. Evansville: 5-1-0-0
Nov 21 Evansville 0 at Cincinnati 4 Final
Nov 26 Evansville 5 at Cincinnati 3 Final
Dec 29 Evansville 2 at Cincinnati 5 Final
Jan 14 Evansville 0 at Cincinnati 4 Final
Jan 17 Cincinnati 4 at Evansville 3 Final
Jan 19 Cincinnati 4 at Evansville 3 Final OT
Jan 23 Evansville at Cincinnati 7:30pm EST
Feb 18 Evansville at Cincinnati 7:30pm EST
Feb 28 Cincinnati at Evansville 8:15pm EST
Mar 27 Evansville at Cincinnati 7:30pm EDT
Apr 4 Evansville at Cincinnati 7:30pm EDT