CYCLONES HAMMER NAILERS IN WEEKEND FINALE
For Immediate Release: February 29, 2020
CYCLONES HAMMER NAILERS IN WEEKEND FINALE
Cincinnati Puts on Defensive Clinic in Win
Wheeling, WV- The Cincinnati Cyclones (35-16-7-1) took down the Wheeling Nailers, 5-2, on Saturday night. Forwards John Wiitala, Jesse Schultz, Ben Johnson, and Nate Mitton, along with defenseman Tobie Bisson scored the goals for the Cyclones, who held the Nailers to zero shots in the first period. It marked the first time since January 23, 2015 that the Cyclones limited an opponent to no shots in a period.
After a scoreless first period that saw Cincinnati outshoot Wheeling, 8-0, the Nailers struck on the power play 3:14 in when forward Cam Brown found the back of the net to put the Nailers on top, 1-0.
Cincinnati was not deterred and tied the game 10 seconds later when Wiitala ripped a shot from the slot into the net to pull the Cyclones even, 1-1. With a little under seven minutes remaining in the frame Cincinnati took the lead when Schultz forced a turnover in front of the net and beat Nailers goaltender Emil Larmi to give the Cyclones a 2-1 lead.
The ‘Clones added another with about a minute and a half left when Johnson brought the puck from below the goal line to the left side of the cage, and he flipped a backhander in to give Cincinnati a 3-1 advantage after 40 minutes.
In the third, Cincinnati pushed their lead to three when Mitton took a feed from forward Ben Holmstrom and ripped a shot in from the right circle to give the ‘Clones a 4-1 lead.
After the Nailers cut the deficit back to two, 4-2, on a goal from forward Renars Krastenbergs midway through the frame, Cincinnati restored their three-goal advantage when Bisson ripped a shot from up top and in to seal the Cyclones’ 5-2 win.
Cincinnati limited the Nailers to 12 shots on the day, outshooting Wheeling 28-12, with goaltender Michael Houser steering aside 10 in the win. The Cyclones return home on Wednesday to take on the Kalamazoo Wings. Face-off is set for 7:35pm ET.
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!
