ELMIRA, New York – For the second straight night, Louis Caporusso potted the game-winning goal, this time in a shootout, as the Elmira Jackals (23-11-0-0) defeated the Cincinnati Cyclones (14-11-0-4) by a 4-3 final score in front of 3,234 at First Arena on Sunday afternoon.
For the second night in a row, the Jackals grabbed the game’s first goal as Louis Caporusso potted a power play goal through Cyclones net minder Brad Fogal (L, 20 saves, 1-2-0-1) at the 12:53 mark. Cincinnati responded a few minutes later, at 17:16 when Jonathan Hazen found a loose puck in the slot and sniped a shot over the shoulder of Jackals goalie Brian Stewart (W, 34 saves, 14-5-0) to knot the score at one after 20 minutes.
After killing off four minutes of penalty time, the Jackals extended their lead with a pair of quick goals in the middle stanza. Dustin Gazley lit the lamp with a wrist shot at 5:03 followed by a one-timer goal by Jack Downing at 10:17, making it 3-1 Elmira at the second intermission.
The Cyclones would race back in the third period, however, thanks to a misplayed puck by the goaltender Stewart; Jonathan Hazen poked home his second goal of the night, pulling Cincinnati within a goal at 3-2. Then, with just under three minutes to play, Mike Pelech batted in a rebound to knot the score and send the game into overtime.
In the extra session, the Cyclones were given a power play when Artem Demkov was whistled for high sticking at 1:14. However, Cincinnati was unable to end it and they remained tied after 65 minutes so the game was to be decided in a shootout.
Chris Cahill and Anthony Luciani scored in both of the first two rounds for Cincinnati, giving them an early lead in the shootout. However, the Jackals rattled off four straight goals of their own, including Louis Caporusso’s in the fifth round to seal a 4-3 victory for Elmira. The Jackals improved to 8-0 in shootouts this season.
The Cyclones Radio Network Three Stars of the Game are as follows:
First Star: Louis Caporusso (Game-winning goal in shootout for Elmira)
Second Star: Jean Bourbeau (2 assists for Elmira)
Third Star: Jack Downing (1 goal for Elmira)
The Cyclones will return to U.S. Bank Arena next Friday, January 13 when they welcome in the Kalamazoo Wings at 7:30pm. The first 2,000 fans through the gates will receive a limited edition Cyclones Winter Hat! Secure your seats now by calling 513.421.PUCK or log on to CyclonesHockey.com. Fans can also get the latest team updates throughout the season on Facebook and Twitter (@CincyCyclones).
Click here to view tonight's box score.
Jackals Avoid Collapse, Defeat Cyclones in Shootout 4-3
