For Immediate Release: December 11, 2019

  Game 24 (Home Game 11)

Vs. Kalamazoo Wings (7-11-2-0, 16 pts)

Wednesday, December 11, 2019, 7:35pm ET

Heritage Bank Center - Cincinnati, OH

Overview: The Cyclones are back home on Wednesday night to take on the Kalamazoo Wings, in the beginning of a three-game homestand. The Cyclones are coming off a 4-1 win over the Toledo Walleye on Saturday night, picking up points for the 11th time in their last 13 games. The ‘Clones still lead the ECHL’s Central Division, and are two points ahead of the Ft. Wayne Komets.

Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (15-6-2-0) took down the Toledo Walleye, 4-1, on Saturday night. Forwards Jesse Schultz, John Edwardh, and Justin Vaive, along with defenseman Kurt Gosselin recorded the goals for Cincinnati, who spoil Toledo’s annual Teddy Bear Toss Night. Cincinnati outshot Toledo, 36-27 on the evening, with goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen steering aside 26 for the win 

Thursday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (14-6-2-0) fell to the Indy Fuel, 2-1, on Wednesday night. Forward Mason Mitchell lit the lamp for the lone Cyclones goal of the evening. Cincinnati outshot the Fuel, 32-22, on the evening with goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopping 20 in the loss.

Tuesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (14-5-2-0) earned a come-from-behind 3-2 win over the Indy Fuel on Tuesday night. Forwards Darik Angeli, Cory Ward, and  Nate Mitton tallied the goals for the Cyclones, who came back from a 2-0, third period hole. The ‘Clones were outshot, 27-22, with goaltender Sean Romeo steering aside 25 in the win.

Previewing Kalamazoo: The Wings are coming off a 4-1 win over the Wheeling Nailers on Saturday night, however they have dropped seven of their last nine games overall. A lot of the Wings’ success this season has been predicated on their performance on the penalty kill, as they are 5-1-0-0 when not allowing a power play goal, however they possess a 2-10-2-0 mark when the opposition scores on the man advantage. Statistically, Kalamazoo ranks 26th with 4.15 goals allowed per game, and are right above the Cyclones in goals scored at 18th, averaging 3.05 goals per 60 minutes. They are led by forward Dylan Sadowy who has totalled 13 goals and nine assists through 18 games this season. He is followed by forwards Yannick Vellieux (6g, 11a), and Kyle Blaney (4g, 10a) who round out the top three. In goal, Jake Hildebrand has a record of 4-6-1-0, alo ng with a 3.66 goals-against average and a .881 save percentage.  

Inside the Series: Wednesday will be the sixth of 14 meetings between Cincinnati and Kalamazoo this season. Cincinnati is 4-0-1-0 against the Wings this season and has won four in a row, outscoring Kalamazoo, 19-8 in their four wins (22-12 overall). The Cyclones will play three of their next four games against the Wings (Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday). 

Next Game Preview:  Cincinnati hosts Kalamazoo again on Friday night, with the face-off slated for 7:35pm.

Ward Traded to Tulsa: The Cincinnati Cyclones have traded forward Cory Ward to the Tulsa Oilers, in exchange for Future Considerations. Ward skated in 16 games with the Cyclones this season, accounting for a goal and three assists in that time. Hailing from Las Vegas, NV, Ward appeared in 71 games with the ECHL’s Manchester Monarchs last season, accounting for 15 goals and 19 assists for 34 points, and registered 20 minutes in penalties. He recorded seven multi-point efforts, including a season-high three points on two separate occasions. He also appeared in 11 playoff games with Manchester, potting a goal and dishing out a pair of assists. Ward’s ECHL career has seen him account for 40 goals and 50 assists in 174 career games. He has also seen 33 career games in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Ontario Reign, Springfield Thunderbirds, St. John’s IceCaps, and Syracuse Crunch, totaling a goal and four assists in that time. 

Aquin, Vail Return: The Rochester Americans, America Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Cyclones, have reassigned forwards Pascal Aquin and Brady Vail back to Cincinnati. Aquin skated in 10 games for Rochester during his call-up, accounting for a goal and two assists, along with nine penalty minutes. Vail skated in seven contests for the Americans and recorded a goal and an assist, along with a plus-one on-ice rating. 

Luukkonen Named ECHL Goaltender of the Month: Cyclones goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been named the recipient of the Warrior Hockey / ECHL Goaltender of the Month for November. The rookie sensation posted a record of 6-2-1-0 and a 1.88 goals-against average along with a .925 save percentage. Hailing from Espoo, FIN, Luukkonen allowed more than two goals on just three occasions, and stopped 22 or more shots in seven of his nine contests. His month was highlighted by back-to-back shutouts on November 14 and 16, stopping all 22 shots he faced in a 1-0 win over the Allen Americans, before steering aside all 23 shots he faced in a 5-0 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets two nights later. Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres, Cincinnati’s National Hockey League (NHL) affiliate, in the second round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Luukkonen ranks third in the ECHL with a 1.90 GAA and is sixth in save percentage at .924.

Familiar Foes: The Cyclones are in the middle of a stretch of 15 straight games against their Central Division foes. This season, the Cyclones will play 52 of their 72 games against the Central Division, and currently possess a record of 11-4-2-0 against their divisional rivals. 

Caution! HOT!: Cyclones forward Darik Angeli saw his eight-game point streak end following  last Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the Indy Fuel.  He had four goals and eight assists on his point streak, including multi-point efforts on four occasions. Additionally, Mason Mitchell has points om eight of his last 10 games (5g, 7a) , while Ben Johnson has points in seven of his last eight games, (3g, 5a). 

Achievement Unlocked: Cyclones forward Jesse Schultz recently recorded his 900th professional point. Schultz is closing in on a few more career milestones as well, sitting just two games away from 1,000 pro games played, and 12 games away from 300 for his ECHL career. He currently sits at 355 goals and 554 assists across 998 games, in a career that has seen him spend time in North America in the ECHL, American Hockey League (AHL), and Central Hockey League (CHL), and he also skated in a pair of games for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also seen time overseas in Denmark, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, and Sweden.

Finding Their Stride: The trio of Justin Vaive, Darik Angeli, and Jesse Schultz have accounted for 28 goals and 31 assists over the last 18 games for the Cyclones. Schultz has points in 13 of his last 18 games (13g, 12a), and leads the team in scoring with 26 points on the season (14g, 12a). Additionally, Angeli has points in 10 of his last 13 games (5g, 9a), while Vaive has nine goals and five assists over his last 17 outings, including a goal and an assist in Saturday’s 4-1 win over the Toledo Walleye. 

Holding the Lead: Cincinnati has an 11-1-0-0 mark when scoring the game’s first goal, and they are a perfect 11-0-0-0 when leading through two periods this season. They are the second-best defensive team in the ECHL, allowing 2.39 goals per game, and they lead the League with an average of 26.83 shots allowed per 60 minutes.

The 2019-20 Cincinnati Cyclones season is upon us! The defending Brabham Cup champion Cyclones are looking to build off of last season’s success, and we invite YOU to join us for the ride! Single game tickets, along with season and group ticket packages for every game this season are on sale now, and you can get more info by calling (513) 421-PUCK! Stay on top of all the latest team updates and information on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!