For Immediate Release: January 8, 2020

 Game 36 (Road Game 19)

Vs. Rapid City Rush (19-12-3-0, 41 pts)

Wednesday, January 8, 2020, 9:05pm ET

Rushmore Plaza Civic Center - Rapid City, SD

Video Preview| Last Game Highlights|Last Game Postgame Comments

Overview: The Cyclones head west for the only time this season, when they travel to Rapid City, SD, to take on the Rush. Cincinnati is coming off a 4-0 win over the Wheeling Nailers on Saturday night to snap a two-game skid, and earn points in their fourth-straight game. Cincinnati still holds down the top spot in the ECHL’s Central Division, five points ahead of the Toledo Walleye in second.

Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (21-8-6-0) closed out Throwback Weekend on Saturday night with a 4-0 win over the Wheeling Nailers. The Cyclones received goals from defenseman Andrew DeBrincat, and forwards Mason Mitchell, John Edwardh, and Pascal Aquin, while goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped all 21 shots he faced for his third shutout of the season. The Cyclones outshot Wheeling, 50-21 on the night, marking their first 50-shot output since April 1, 2016 against the Evansville IceMen. 

Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (20-8-6-0) fell to the Wheeling Nailers, 2-1 in overtime, on Friday night, the opener of their annual Throwback Weekend. Forward Brady Vail scored the lone goal for the Cyclones, who have now dropped three of their last four games. Cincinnati outshot the Nailers, 35-18, on the night, including 16-4 in the first period, and 11-5 in the second. Goaltender Michael Houser stopped 18 shots in the loss.

Thursday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (20-8-5-0) fell to the Indy Fuel, 2-1 in overtime, on Thursday night. Defenseman Justin Baudry netted the lone goal for Cincinnati. The Cyclones outshot Indy, 36-27, with goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen steering aside 25 in the loss.

Previewing Rapid City: The Rush enter the week in fourth place in the ECHL’s Mountain Division , one point back of the Utah Grizzlies in third, and two points back of the Idaho Steelheads in second. The Rush have won two in a row and four of their last five, and are coming off a 5-2 win over Utah on Sunday afternoon. Rapid City have had a lot of success when playing with the lead, as they are 9-1-2-0 when leading after one, and 12-1-1-0 when ahead through 40 minutes. Defensively, they rank ninth with 3.09 goals-against per game, and they have the fourth-ranked penalty kill at 86.2% (139/161). They are led by forward and team captain Peter Quenneville who has accounted for 15 goals and 24 assists through 34 games. He is followed by forwards Tyler Coulter (15g, 12a) and Brennan Saulnier (11g, 8a) who round out the top three. In goal, Tyler Parks leads the way with an 11-5-3-0 mark, along with  a 2.90 goals-against average along with a .919 save-percentage. 

Inside the Series:  Wednesday marks the start of a three-game series this week between Cincinnati and Rapid City, and the ‘Clones will play five of its next six games against them. Cincinnati won the lone meeting between the two last year, and is 1-1-0-0 all time against the Rush. This week’s three games will be the first time Cincinnati has visited Rapid City.  

Next Game Preview: The teams will meet once again on Wednesday at 9:05pm ET.

Romeo Traded to Florida: The Cincinnati Cyclones have traded goaltender Sean Romeoto the Florida Everblades in exchange for Future Considerations. Romeo has appeared in nine games with the Cyclones this season, posting a record of 6-2-0-0 along with a 2.75 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. A native of Cary, NC, Romeo spent the last two seasons at Ohio State University where he appeared in 54 games and posted a 30-17-7 record along with a 2.21 GAA and a .919 SV%. His best season came during his junior year in 2017-18 where he recorded a mark of 22-10-5 along with a 2.06 GAA and a .927 SV%. He was also a semifinalist for the 2018 Mike Richter Award as college hockey’s top goaltender that year, and was also named the NCAA Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player. Romeo left Ohio State with a school-record shutout streak of 204:27, and he is the first goaltender in school history with shutouts in three straight games. He ranks fourth in program history with a 2.22 GAA, and is tied for fourth with a .919 SV%. He helped backstop the Buckeyes to a pair of NCAA Tournament berths, including a trip to the 2018 Frozen Four. Romeo began his collegiate career at the University of Maine where he skated in 25 games from 2014-2016, before transferring to Ohio State. He had a record of 7-13-1 in 23 games as a freshman, but only appeared in two games as a sophomore, recording a 3.11 GAA along with a .900 SV%. 

Welcome Back: This week marks the return to Rapid City for Cyclones forward Jesse Schultz, who suited up for the Rush from 2010-15. He still stands as the Rush’s all-time scoring leader, accounting for 99 goals and 176 assists in 234 games, including three seasons of 64 or more points.  

Sol Traded to Florida: The Cincinnati Cyclones have sent defenseman Cody Sol to the Florida Everblades, completing the trade for forward John Edwardh from October 10. Acquired in a trade with the Toledo Walleye on October 14, Sol appeared in 23 games for the Cyclones, accounting for three goals and four assists, along with 23 minutes in penalties. He skated in one game with Toledo as well, dishing out an assist. 

Strong D: Cincinnati is second in the ECHL with 2.49 goals allowed per game, and pace the League with 26.66 shots against per 60 minutes, and have allowed 27 shots or fewer in seven-straight games. The Cyclones have allowed two or fewer goals in 13 of their last 19 games, and have given up more than three on just seven occasions. They are 20-4-4-0 this season when allowing three or fewer goals. 

Milestone Night: December 13 was the 1,000th professional hockey game for Cyclones forward Jesse Schultz. The 37-year-old had a big game, dishing out four assists in a 5-2 win over the Kalamazoo Wings. Schultz recently recorded his 900th professional point, and currently sits at 356 goals and 561 assists across 1,008 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.

Holding the Lead: Cincinnati has an 14-2-2-0 mark when scoring the game’s first goal, and they are perfect in regulation when leading through two periods this season, accounting for a mark of 16-0-2-0. 

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!