GAME PREVIEW: 11/19 vs. Wheeling Nailers

GAME PREVIEW: 11/19 vs. Wheeling Nailers

For Immediate Release: November 19, 2019

 

Game 15 (Road Game 8)

Vs. Wheeling Nailers (6-5-2-0, 14 pts)

Tuesday, November 19, 2019, 10:45am ET

WesBanco Arena- Wheeling, WV

 Saturday Highlights | Saturday Postgame Comments

Overview: The Cyclones hit the road for a pair of games, starting on Tuesday morning against the Wheeling Nailers. The Cyclones earned their fourth win and their second shutout in a row on Saturday, with a 5-0 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets. Cincinnati now sit in first place of the ECHL’s Central Division.  

Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (9-4-1-0) earned a 5-0 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets on Saturday evening. Forward Jesse Schultz led the way with a pair of goals and two assists, including his 900th career professional point, while forwards Mason MitchellBen Johnson, and Darik Angeli each added lone tallies for the Cyclones. Additionally, goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped all 23 shots he faced, earning his second-consecutive shutout. The Cyclones outshot the Komets, 27-23 on the evening, while the power play went 3-for-8 on its chances. 

Thursday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (8-4-1-0) defeated the Allen Americans, 1-0 in overtime, on Thursday night. Forward Cody Milan scored the lone goal for Cincinnati, while goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped all 22 shots he faced for in first professional shutout.  Cincinnati outshot the Americans, 30-22 on the evening, while the penalty kill was perfect on all three of its chances. 

Tuesday Morning Recap:The Cincinnati Cyclones (7-4-1-0) took down the Allen Americans, 4-2, in their annual Field Trip Game on Tuesday morning. Forward Justin Vaive led the way with a pair of goals, while forwards Mason Mitchell andJesse Schultze ach scored lone markers for the Cyclones. The Cyclones outshot Allen, 30-25 on the morning, with goaltender Sean Romeo stopping 23 in the win. 

Previewing Wheeling: The Nailers snapped a three-game skid with a 6-5 overtime win over the Ft. Wayne Komets on Sunday afternoon, however they have dropped five of their last seven games overall (2-3-2-0). The Nailers have been one of the top ECHL teams at home this season, posting a 6-1-0-0 record, and outscoring teams, 28-19, in the process. The Nailers are led offensively by forwards Jan Drozg (8g, 7a) and Cam Brown (6g, 9a) who each have 15 points through 13 games. They are followed by former Cyclone Myles Powel l(4g, 10a), and a pair of 12-point scorers in forwards Renars Krastenbergs and Yushiroh Hirano who each have four goals and eights assists. In goal, Alex D’Orio has a record of 5-3-1-0 along with a 3.57 goals-against average and a .881 save percentage. 

Inside the Series: Tuesday will be the second meeting of the season between the ‘Clones and Nailers, following a 4-2 Cyclones win on opening night. The teams will meet eight more times after Tuesday morning.

Next Game Preview: Cincinnati heads to Kalamazoo to take on the Wings on Wednesday night, in the finale of their two-game road trip. The Cyclones and Wings have split the first two games of the 14-game season series, and following Wednesday, the next four games will be played in Cincinnati. 

Achievement Unlocked: Cyclones forward Jesse Schultz recorded his 900th professional point in Saturday’s 5-0 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets. Point 900 came on an assist on Ben Johnson’s second period goal, and he added a pair of goals and an additional helper as a part of a four-point night. Schultz is closing in on a few more career milestones as well, sitting just 11 games away from 1,000 pro games played, and is just four points shy of 300 ECHL points, and 21 games away from 300 for his ECHL career. He currently sits at 351 goals and 552 assists across 989 games, in a career that has seen him spend time in North America in the ECHL, American Hockey League (AHL), and Central Hockey League (CHL), and he also skated in a pair of games for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also seen time overseas in Denmark, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, and Sweden.

The Kid’s Alright!: Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen pitched his second consecutive shutout on Saturday night, stopping all 23 shots he faced in a 5-0 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets. He was a perfect 22-for-22 in Thursday’s 1-0 overtime win over the Allen Americans, after collecting his first win as a Cyclones last Sunday afternoon, stopping 22 shots in a 3-2 win over the Kalamazoo Wings. He leads the ECHL with a 1.24 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage, while posting a 3-1-0-0 record in the process. Hailing from Espoo, FIN, Luukkonen is coming off a successful season with the Sudbury Wolves in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) where he posted a record of 38-11-2, along with a 2.50 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. He was named OHL Goaltender of the Year for his efforts, and he also earned the Red Tilson Trophy, which is given to the Most Outstanding Player in the League. He is the first European import player to earn that award. Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres, National Hockey League (NHL) affiliate of the Cyclones, in the second round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Luukkonen made his North American debut late last season, stopping 32 shots in a 4-2 win over the Belleville Senators on April 14. He has also seen time on the international stage with the Finnish National Team, earning a gold medal in both the 2019 Under-20 World Junior Championships and 2017 Under-18 World Junior Championships, and he helped backstop the Finnish squad to a silver medal in the 2017 U18 WJC.   

Overtime Hero: Cyclones forward Cody Milan’s overtime goal in Thursday’s 1-0 win over the Allen Americans was also the first goal of his pro career. A native of Orchard Lake, MI, Milan is coming off a successful career at Michigan State University, where he appeared in 122 games and accounted for 16 goals and 37 assists in that span. After recording just 12 points (3g, 9a) in his first two seasons, Milan exploded for 41 points (13g, 28a) during his junior and senior seasons, and was also named an assistant captain during his senior season last year. 

Oh Captain, My Captain!: Cyclones captain Justin Vaive recorded his second two-goal performance in the span of a week in last Tuesday’s 4-2 win over the Allen Americans. Vaive has points in three-straight games and in five of his last seven contests (5g, 3a), and is second on the team in scoring with nine points (5g, 4a). 

Boomhower Recalled: The Rochester Americans, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Cyclones have recalled forward Shaw Boomhower. He joins forward Pascal Aquin, who was recalled by Rochester earlier this week. A native of Belleville, ON, Boomhower has appeared in 11 games for the Cyclones this season, accounting for a goal and an assist along with 42 minutes in penalties.  Boomhower was signed to an AHL contract by the Americans in the off season, and tallied three goals and four assists in 26 games with the Cyclones a season ago.  

Finding Their Stride: The line of Justin VaiveDarik Angeli, and Jesse Schultz have accounted for 15 goals and 18 assists over the last nine games for the Cyclones, after combining for three goals and two assists in Saturday’s 5-0 win over Ft. Wayne. Schultz has points in eight of his last nine games (8g, 7a), and leads the team in scoring with 16 points on the season (9g, 7a). Additionally, Vaive has five goals and three assists over his last seven outings, while Angeli has points in three of his last four games (2g, 2a).

Holding the Lead: Cincinnati is a perfect 7-0-0-0 when scoring the first goal and when leading through two periods this season, and are currently fourth in the ECHL with 2.57 goals allowed per game. 

 

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 websitewww.cycloneshockey.com