CYCLONES GAME PREVIEW
Cincinnati Cyclones (0-0-0-0)
vs.
Toledo Walleye (0-0-0-0)
Click here for tonight's game note packet
DATE: Saturday, October 18, 2014
TIME: 7:15 ET
SITE: Huntington Center - Toledo, OH
BROADCAST: CyclonesHockey.com, ECHL.TV
NHL AFFILIATES
Cincinnati Cyclones: Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators
Toledo Walleye: Detroit Red Wings
NEXT HOME GAME
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25 - 7:30pm vs. KALAMAZOO
2014-15 FIRST FACE-OFF
TONIGHT'S MATCHUP: The Cyclones open the defense of their Eastern Conference Championship tonight as they kick off the 2014-15 regular season here in Toledo. A year ago, the ‘Clones dominated their I-75 rivals - taking seven of the ten meetings and outscoring them by a combined 41-30 margin. Tonight marks the first time since returning to ECHL play that the teams have met to open a campaign.
SCOUTING THE WALLEYE: Derek Lalonde’s embarks on his first season at the helm of the Walleye, who finished in the basement of the Eastern Conference in 2014-15. Most notable among the many new Toledo faces is former Cyclone Anthony Luciani. The fourth-year pro led Cincinnati during the regular season with 53 points (25g, 28a) in 50 games. Walleye team captain, Kyle Rogers, is one of only a handful of Toledo returners. A season ago, the 29-year-old had 34 points in 64 games - the lowest in his ECHL career. Between the pipes, former Michigan State standout Jeff Lerg returns to North America after playing overseas for the last three seasons. In 29 ECHL games with Trenton, he went 13-13-1 with a 3.32 GAA. Fellow net minder Jared Coreau hopes to improve upon a 2013-14 season where he went just 1-12-6 with a 4.03 goals-against average for Toledo.
LAST HEAD-TO-HEAD MATCH-UP: APRIL 13, 2014: Taylor Aronson’s three-point night highlighted a 4-1 win for the Cyclones over the Walleye in front of 4,599 at Huntington Center on Sunday night.
The New Bench Boss: For the second consecutive year, the Cyclones will open the season with a new face at the helm. On August 12, Matt Macdonald was named the eighth Head Coach in club history, succeeding Ben Simon who accepted a job with the Toronto Marlies. Macdonald is no stranger to the Queen City, having served as the Assistant Coach for the past two seasons along with 119 games as a player in a Cyclones jersey. He was an Assistant Captain on the 2008 Kelly Cup Championship team and has helped lead the club to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances from behind the bench.
The Returners: This year’s squad boasts nine players who were a member of last year’s Eastern Conference Championship club. Those players are Rob Madore, David MacDonald, Wade Megan, Josh Shalla, Brian Nugent, Chris Reed, Phil Bushbacher, Joe Basaraba, and Andrew Blazek. With the return of David Pacan as well, 10 players on this year’s team have seen time for the Cyclones prior to 2014-15.
The Backstops: Both of the Cyclones affiliates have assigned a pair of impressive net minders. Last year’s Kelly Cup Playoffs MVP, Rob Madore is back for another season in Cincy - this time as a member of the Milwaukee Admirals organization. The Florida Panthers, meanwhile, have assigned University of Denver standout Sam Brittain to the ‘Clones. In college, he posted a 51-34-11 record and was the 2014 NCHC’s Goaltender of the Year.
SEASON SERIES AT A GLANCE (7 GAMES - 2 HOME, 5 AWAY):
Oct 18 Cincinnati at Toledo 7:15pm EDT
Nov 9 Cincinnati at Toledo 5:15pm EST
Jan 30 Cincinnati at Toledo 7:15pm EST
Feb 15 Toledo at Cincinnati 4:05pm EST
Feb 20 Cincinnati at Toledo 7:15pm EST
Mar 31 Toledo at Cincinnati 7:35pm EDT
Apr 10 Cincinnati at Toledo 7:15pm EST
For additional media information, contact Nick Brunker at 513.421.1342.
