KALAMAZOO, Mich.-In the end, it looked much worse on the score sheet than it was but a loss is a loss. The Cyclones opened the season on the road for the third straight year with the same results. Coach Jarrod Skalde is 0 for 2 on opening night and although this doesn’t affect the season overall it was a disappointment for the home fans hoping to start the year on a positive note.
Cincinnati lacked offensive firepower in this contest from the start. Kalamazoo scored first on a blast by Brendan Svendsen with 4:20 left in the first. K-Wings goalie Riley Gill Stymied the Cincinnati forward line the entire first period as the tight Wings defense befuddled the ‘Clones.
The power play was non-productive as the Cyclones struggled to keep the puck out of their own end.
The second period began a bit better as the Cyclones defense resisted a flurry of Kalamazoo shots on goal and net minder Chet Pickard seemed to settle in to the rhythm of the game. Pickard is in his second year with the ‘Clones and was a welcome addition to the squad. As Adam Comrie sat in the box for an ill timed delay of game penalty the Wings bore down on Pickard with a well organized power play attempt. This was interrupted when Garrett Wilson stole the puck on a poorly made pass and rushed up ice toward Gill. He deftly deked the K-Wing goalie for a shorthanded tally to tie the game at one apiece. This was unbeknownst to the Cyclones faithful to be the only goal for the visiting Cyclones.
The rest of the middle period the Cincinnati squad tried mightily to gain the advantage but there was no further scoring during the period.
The final stanza saw the teams throw a bevy of seven ounce rubber at each net minder. The home crowd roared as the K-Wings Svendsen scored a flukey goal that’s bound to happen once in awhile. The puck flew past Pickard, struck the crossbar and somehow crossed the red line before bouncing out front. This was the second score by Svendsen and the game winner.
Though the ‘Clones tried to knot the score for the rest of the third it was all in vain. The period ended with Pickard on the bench for an extra attacker but the K-wings put the game out of reach on an empty netter by Kory Kallander. Disappointing to say the least it was another game where an anemic offense and power play let the possibility of a win slip away. The bright spot for the team was the penalty kill unit and the defense was solid for the majority of the game. The shorthanded goal was a big boost.
So far, the season holds promise that the offense will catch fire and the power play will solidify into an effective unit. That the defense is ahead of the curve is encouraging. We will hope to see the team come together as a total package in the coming weeks.
Contact the writer/photographer at Rob.Huelsman@prohockeynews.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.