The Cincinnati Cyclones welcomed the Maine Mariners to the Heritage Bank Center on Friday night, along the banks of the Ohio River. The Cyclones came into this matchup on a high note, having defeated the Utah Grizzlies 3-1 just two days earlier. Ty Voit was the standout player in that game, grabbing first-star honors with two assists, while Marko Sikic contributed with a goal and took home the second-star title.
On the other hand, the Mariners had a thrilling game of their own on Wednesday, pulling off a comeback against the Indy Fuel. After falling behind 3-0 early in the first period, they managed to rally back and win 4-3 in overtime, answering back two goals of their own in the first. Jacob Hudson later scored the game-winner in extra time, who now has five goals on the season, with 10 assists so far.
Pavel Cajan was in goal for Cincinnati, while Nolan Maier manned the net for Maine. Backing up for Cincinnati Friday night was Brian Uzzo, a member of the Cyclones organization who served as the EBUG for Friday night’s game.
First Period:
The first period was pretty uneventful, only consisting of two penalty kills for the Cyclones. Both teams struggled offensively, each only managing four shots in that opening frame. The Cyclones’ penalties came from Justin Vaive for boarding and Braeden Kressler for hooking, but their PK held strong kill them off.
Second Period:
Around 12 minutes into the middle frame, Cyclones’ captain Justin Vaive became the first Cyclone in history to hit the 150-goal mark. Vaive gave Cincinnati a 1-0 as he deked the puck around Maier on his backhand. It was refreshing to see the fourth line contribute with some much-needed depth scoring.
However, the lead didn’t last long. After Jacob Frasca took a retaliatory cross-checking penalty, Maine capitalized with a power play goal from Chase Zieky, tying the game at 1-1.
Cincinnati regained the advantage before the end of the period when Chas Sharpe blasted a long shot past Maier, ending the second period with the Cyclones up 2-1. Maine managed only one shot that period, a true testament to the tight defense from the Cyclones, which has been their identity of late.
Third Period:
The third period was a goal fest for Cincinnati, with Jacob Frasca, Chas Sharpe, and two goals from Tristan Ashbrook piling on for a final score of 6-1. Maine struggled to generate any offense, as the Cyclones consistently shut down their attacks at the blue line all game long, holding them to a total of 10 shots.
It was impressive to see the Cyclones show off their offensive firepower against a solid Maine defense, improving their record to 13-20-4. However, they are still five points shy of a playoff spot after the Indy Fuel’s 4-0 victory over the Kalamazoo Wings, but after the way this season began, this is a gigantic step forward. With a crucial game against Indy on Saturday night looming, the stakes are high for both teams as they compete for Central Division playoff positioning. This matchup will be their first-ever meeting at the Fishers Event Center and the third face-off of the season, with each team having one win so far.
Three Stars of the Game:
1) Justin Vaive – 1 Goal (150th Cyclone Goal)
2) Tristan Ashbrook – 2 Goals
3) Chas Sharpe – 2 Goals
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