The Cincinnati Cyclones hosted the Bloomington Bison on Friday night at Heritage Bank Center in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. The Cyclones entered the game, still seeking their first win of the season, holding a record of 0-6-3 and sitting at the bottom of the entire ECHL standings with just 3 points. The Bison, on the other hand, had a record of 3-5-1, placing them second to last in the Central Division standings. The Cyclones wore their new Military Appreciation Jerseys during the game to honor the military, and a large crowd attended the event at the arena.
Starting in goal for the Cyclones was Pavel Cajan, while Hugo Ollas took to the net for the Bison.
As the puck dropped in downtown Cincinnati to start the first period, tensions were high. Steven MacLean of the Cyclones, standing at 6 feet 7 inches, and Max Neill of the Bison exchanged blows in an early fight, sending them to the box.
Gavin Gould of the Bison was later assessed a slashing penalty, giving the Cyclones a man advantage. However, this opportunity was short-lived as Justin Vaive was called for holding, resulting in offsetting penalties. The Bison initially took a 1-0 lead during a power play with a goal from Brett Budgell, marking his third of the season. The Cyclones responded when Mason McCarty scored his first career goal with the team, sneaking the puck past Hugo Ollas, evening the game at 1-1.
Remy Parker of the Cyclones was later assessed a ridiculous roughing penalty for defending his teammate after a dirty hit was delivered by the Bison. Fortunately, the penalty kill unit managed the Bison power play, killing off the penalty. The first period ended in a 1-1 tie, with the Bison firing an impressive 17 shots compared to the Cyclones’ 7.
It was plenty of back-and-forth action starting second-period play, with both goaltenders standing tall. Around halfway through the period, the Kyle Bollers broke out on a 3-2 odd-man rush and dished it off to Matthew Gosselin, who one-timed the puck past Ollas to give the Cyclones a 2-1 lead.
Remy Parker later took another penalty, this time high-sticking, and the Bison could not beat the Cyclones’ PK yet again. Just under 30 seconds left in the second, Pavel Cajan made a sprawling save to hold the 2-1 lead heading into the second intermission.
The first seven minutes of the third period were uneventful, with minimal offensive production from either team. At 6:53 into the period, Colton Kalezic of the Bison was called for holding; however, the Cyclones’ struggles on the power play continued, as they ranked last in the ECHL. Despite the Cyclones pumping numerous shots at goalie Ollas, he kept the Bison within striking distance down the stretch. With a little over six minutes left in regulation, Matthew Boudens was penalized for slashing, which gave the Bison a power play opportunity, but the Cyclones’ penalty kill held strong once again. In the waning moments of the game, the Bison pulled their goalie but were later assessed a too many men penalty, sealing the victory for the Cyclones. They finally won a game at last, improving their record to 1-6-3, and hopefully, sparking a climb back up the standings.
Looking ahead, the Cyclones will travel west to Bloomington, Illinois, to face the Bison again tomorrow night, followed by a road game against the Fort Wayne Komets on Sunday. Overall, I was most impressed by the Cyclones’ defensive efforts tonight, along with a stellar performance from goalie Pavel Cajan. This victory can serve as a momentum builder for the Cyclones, who need to begin climbing back up the standings.
Three Stars of the Game:
3) Matthew Gosselin: 1 goal (GWG)
2) Pavel Cajan: 34/35 shots stopped
1) Kyle Bollers: 1 goal, 1 assist
