GAME PREVIEW: 11/13 vs. Greenville

GAME PREVIEW: 11/13 vs. Greenville

For Immediate Release: November 13, 2018

  

Game 13 (Home Game 7)

Vs. Greenville Swamp Rabbits (4-8-1-0, 9 pts)

Tuesday, November 13, 2018 - 10:35am ET

U.S. Bank Arena – Cincinnati, OH

 

 

Overview: The Cyclones fell for just the third time in regulation this season on Saturday night, 4-3, to the Indy Fuel Cincinnati has won five of their last seven games entering the week, and have outscored teams 18-10 in their last five games. The Cyclones sit just three points back of the Toledo Walleye for first place in the Central Division.   

Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (7-3-2-0) dropped a tight 4-3 affair to the Indy Fuel on the road Saturday night. Forwards Myles PowellPascal Aquin, and Brady Vail tallied the goals for the Cyclones, who dropped just their third game in regulation this season. Cincinnati outshot the Fuel, 30-27, with goaltender Michael Houser stopping 23 in defeat. 

Friday Night Recap:The Cincinnati Cyclones (7-2-2-0) defeated the Indy Fuel, 5-2, on Friday night. Forward Myles Powell led the way with a pair of shorthanded goals, while forwards Pascal Aquin and Justin Vaive, along with defenseman Devante Stephens tallied lone markers for the Cyclones, who have won five of their last six games. The Cyclones outshot the Fuel, 39-28 on the evening, with goaltender Jonas Johansson stopping 26 in the win. 

Wednesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (6-2-2-0) earned a 4-1 victory over the Wheeling Nailers on Wednesday night. Forward Pascal AquinJustin VaiveBrady Vail, and Mike Marnell lit the lamp for Cincinnati, who have outscored their opponents, 17-5, in their last three wins. Cincinnati outshot Wheeling, 27-23 on the evening, with goaltender Michael Houser stopping 22 in the win.

Previewing Greenville: The Swamp Rabbits halted a three-game skid on Saturday night with a 3-2 overtime win against the Wheeling Nailers. The Swamp Rabbits have dropped five of their last seven overall, with both of their wins coming in overtime. They are led offensively by forward Austen Brassard who has accounted for five goals and seven assists through 13 games played this season. He is followed by a pair of 11-point scorers in forwards Johno May (7g, 4a), and Michael Pelech (3g, 8a), along with forward Chris Izmirlian (5g, 2a) who round out the top three.  

Inside the Series: This will be the lone meeting of the season between the Cyclones and Swamp Rabbits. Greenville took both meetings between the teams during the 2016-17 season, and this will mark just their third trip to Cincinnati in the last five years.  

Next Game Preview: The Cyclones return to divisional play on Friday when they welcome in the Ft. Wayne Komets. Cincinnati won the first meeting back on October 13, and the sides will meet nine more times following Friday. 

 

NEED-TO-KNOW

Shorthanded…? No Problem!: Cyclones forward Myles Powell scored two shorthanded goals in Friday’s 5-2 win over the Indy Fuel, and the Cyclones are now tied for the League-lead in that category with six. Additionally, the Cyclones rank third in the ECHL on the penalty kill with an 87.8% success rate (36/41), and have only allowed three power play goals on their last 21 chances. 

Offensive Explosion:The Cyclones are 5-2-0-0 in their last seven games, outscoring their opponents 24-8 in their five wins, and Cincinnati is sixth in offense with 3.67 goals scored per game. Forward Jesse Schultz is currently riding a four-game point streak, dishing out six assists in that time, and has 10 points (1g, 9a) in his last eight games. Additionally, forward Pascal Aquin has all six of his goal in the last seven games, and has tacked on an assist for seven points in that stretch. Forward Justin Vaive saw his five-game goal-scoring streak end on Saturday, however he has totaled five goals and an assist in his last six games played, while Alex Wideman is currently riding a four-game point streak, accounting for a goal and four assists in that span. 

On the Leaderboard: Goaltender Michael Houser is fourth amongst ECHL goaltenders with a 2.01 goals-against average and third with a .933 save percentage, while posting a 4-1-1-0 record this season. Defenseman Eric Knodel currently is tied for fourth in League defenseman scoring with a pair of goals eighth assists, is second in ECHL rearguards in power play scoring with six points (2g, 4a). Finally, forward Jesse Schultz has dished out 12 assists this season, which is good for fourth place in the ECHL. 

Shutting it Down: Through 11 games this season, the Cyclones have allowed two goals in the third period, and are outscoring the opposition, 14-4 in the final 20 minutes of play. Additionally, the Cyclones are 6-0-0-0 when leading through two periods. Cincinnatiranks sixth in the ECHL with 2.75 goals allowed per game, and seventh with 29.33 shots allowed per 60 minutes.  Cincinnati has given up more than three goals in regulation just three times this season.  

Welcome Matt Thomas: The Cyclones enter the 2018-19 season with a new head coach. In early August, Cincinnati hired Matt Thomas as the team’s new bench boss. He replaced Matt Macdonald who was named assistant coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins; American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.  A native of Maple Ridge, BC, Thomas has extensive head coaching experience in the ECHL, spanning 11 seasons with the Atlantic Boardwalk Bullies, Fresno Falcons, and Stockton Thunder from 2002-2013. Thomas served two seasons as an assistant coach with Atlantic City, including helping the Boardwalk Bullies to a Kelly Cup Championship in 2003, before assuming the role of head coach and Director of Hockey Operations with the team prior to 2004-2005. He compiled a 42-22-8 mark in his lone season as Atlantic City’s bench boss, and served as the head coach for the 2005 ECHL All-Star Game. He then moved on to Fresno prior to the 2005-06 campaign, leading the Falcons to a 43-15-14 mark along with a trip to the Western Conference Finals. Over the next two seasons in Fresno, Thomas compiled a 76-41-17 record, with trips to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs on both occasions. He coached the Falcons during the first half of 2008-09, leading the team to an 18-10-2 mark before the team ceased operations midseason. Thomas was not out of work for long however, as he was named head coach of Stockton shortly after and finished the year with a record of 22-16-3, and a trip to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Thomas went on to coach the Thunder for four more seasons, amassing a mark of 141-111-36, reaching the post season each year, including a trip to the 2013 Kelly Cup Finals. He enters the 2018-19 campaign as the ECHL’s sixth-winningest coach with a career record of 342-225-80, just one win back of fifth place all time. He is also the all-time leader in playoff games coached with 97, and ranks third with 49 playoff wins.  

Thomas Selects Payne as Assistant Coach:  New Cyclones head coach Matt Thomas selected Jason Payne as the team’s assistant coach. Payne is no stranger to southwest Ohio, as he split the 1999-2000 season with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the AHL and Dayton Bombers of the ECHL. A native of Toronto, ON, Payne served as the Player Development coach of the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) as well as General Manager of the Georgetown Raiders of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL). He also coached both the Toronto Patriots of the OJHL and the Mississauga Sens AAA program. Payne is also the owner of the Precision Skating School in Toronto. His school teaches the key dynamics of skating, puck handling techniques, defensive tactics, and other game-related skills. He has worked with all levels of hockey players- from pee wee all the way to professional players. Prior to his player development career, Payne enjoyed a successful 14-year pro career that saw stops in six different leagues, including 71 games in the AHL with the Mighty Ducks, Carolina Monarchs, Worcester IceCats, and Saint John Flames. He has also racked up 132 games of ECHL action and 140 games in the former United Hockey League (UHL).

Hello Again: The Cyclones return nine players from last season’s team, including forwards Vas GlotovJesse SchultzJustin Vaive, and Dominic Zombo. Defensively, the ‘Clones return Arvin AtwalAnthony FlorentinoEric Knodel, and Devante Stephens, and in goal Cincinnati sees Jonas Johanssonback between the pipes. Additionally, `goaltender Michael Houser is back in Cincinnati after spending last season in Ft. Wayne. Overall, Cincinnati’s returners from a season ago accounted for 72 goals and 151 assists for 223 total points, while Johansson posted a 14-11-1-0 record along with a 3.13 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.  

 

The 2018-19 season is HERE, and the Cincinnati Cyclones want YOU along for the ride!Single game, Group, and Season Tickets are on sale NOW 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!