For Immediate Release: April 4, 2016
CYCLONES WEEKLY RELEASE- WEEK 25
Week 25: April 4 – April 10
LAST WEEK RECAP:
Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (35-26-5-4) were defeated by the Toledo Walleye on Saturday night’s regular season home finale by a score of 7-3. Defenseman Garrett Noonan lit the lamp once and forward Tommy Mele scored twice for the Cyclones, who sit in seventh place in the Western Conference with two games left to play in the regular season. The Cyclones outshot Toledo, 32-25, with goaltender Andy Iles coming away with 18 saves in the defeat.
Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (35-25-5-4) fell to the Evansville IceMen, 5-3, on Friday night. Forward Nick Huard tallied a pair of goals, while defenseman Cody Carlson chipped in one for Cincinnati. The Cyclones outshot the IceMen, 51-25, with 20 saves from goaltender Andy Iles in the loss. Despite the loss, the Cyclones have clinched a spot in the 2016 Kelly Cup Playoffs by way of the Tulsa Oilers falling to the Quad City Mallards Friday night.
Thursday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (35-24-5-4) displayed an offensive explosion on Thursday night, scorching the Indy Fuel by a final of 6-1. Forwards Branden Gracel, Christiaan Minella, Jack Downing, Tommy Mele, and Nick Huard, along with defenseman Brett Wysopal, had the goals for the Cyclones, who can clinch a spot in the playoffs with a win and a Tulsa Oilers loss on Friday. The Cyclones were outshot by Indy, 27-29, with goaltender Andy Iles stopping 28 shots in the victory.
Tuesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (34-24-5-4) lost a tough back-and-forth affair to the Fort Wayne Komets on Tuesday night by a final tally of 5-3. Forwards Christiaan Minella, Jack Downing, and Nick Huard had the goals for the Cyclones, who now sit 7 points back of first-place in the division with just 5 games remaining in the regular season. The Cyclones had a wide advantage in shots-on-goal, 26-15, with goaltender Andy Iles only able to stop 10 of the 14 shots he faced in the loss.
Where the Cyclones Stand:
Cincinnati has clinched a spot in the 2016 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs, and currently sits in seventh place in the Western Conference playoff standings, three points behind the Idaho Steelheads and Utah Grizzlies who are tied for fifth. The Cyclones are three points ahead of the Quad City Mallards in eighth, with the two sides getting ready for a two-game series this weekend.
Follow the links for the FULL STANDINGS!
Upcoming Schedule:
Friday, April 8: AT Quad City- 8:05pm ET
Saturday, April 9: AT Quad City- 8:05pm ET
News and Notes:
Playoff Bound: Despite losing to the Evansville IceMen on Friday night, the Cyclones have clinched a spot in the 2016 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs. Cincinnati clinched their spot by way of holding a tiebreaker over the Tulsa Oilers, who also lost their game with the Quad City Mallards on Friday. This will be the eighth time since returning to the ECHL prior to the 2006-2007 season that the Cyclones will be participating in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Cincinnati won the Kelly Cup in 2008 and again in 2010, and made a third trip to the Kelly Cup Finals in 2014.
Staying Hot: Forward Tommy Mele accounted for a pair of goals and an assist on Saturday’s 7-3 loss to the Toledo Walleye, and has totaled six goals and four assists over his last nine games played. The Bronx, NY, native is enjoying a career season, achieving new career highs in goals (27), assists (22), and points (49).
Get DOWN With Your Bad Self: By way of his goal in Thursday night’s 6-1 win over the Indy Fuel, forward Jack Downing moved into a tie for fifth-most goals in a single season in Cyclones history with Thomas Beauregard (2007-08) with 31. With two games left in the regular season, Downing still has the opportunity to move up on the list, as Jean-Michel Daoust, (2006-07) is just ahead of the New Canaan, CT native with 32. Downing also has amassed 232 shots on goal this season, which is the second-most in a season in team history, behind Beauregard’s 275 total in 2007-08.
A New Benchmark: With a goal in Thursday night’s 6-1 win over Indy, forward Christiaan Minella set a new career-high with his 14 goal of the season. The goal also brought his point total to 22, tying his career-high which he set during the 2011-12 season while with the Wheeling Nailers (8g, 14a).
Cyclones Announce Playoff Ticket Packages: The Cincinnati Cyclones have announced ticket packages for the upcoming 2016 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs. Cyclones playoff packages start at $256 per seat and include all 16 potential playoff games. Current 36-game full-season ticket holders already have games one and two of the 2016 playoffs included in their season ticket packages, therefore 14-game plans are available starting at $224 per seat. Single game tickets will be announced at a later date, once the Cyclones officially clinch a spot in the 2016 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Cyclones currently hold down fifth place in the ECHL’s Western Conference. Under the current ECHL playoff format, the top eight teams from both the Eastern and Western Conference receive playoff berths, and all rounds are a best-of-seven format with a potential of four rounds in total.
FULL SEASON CYCLONES STATS:SKATER GOALIE
The 2016 Kelly Cup Playoffs are right around the corner! YOUR Cyclones are on the march towards another Kelly Cup Championship, and want you along for the ride! Be sure to check out one of our 2016 Kelly Cup Playoff Ticket Packages, available NOW! Call 513.421.PUCK to reserve your seats. Fans can also get the latest team updates on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), Instagram, and our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!
