Cincinnati Cyclones November update

CINCINNATI , Oh – The hometown squad rolls into thanksgiving week playing .500 hockey. Some nights have been real gems with short-handed goals or the power play really clicking. Then there are the nights the ‘Clones spot the opponents a goal or three before attempting a comeback that falls short. Comeback wins are a trademark of Chuck Weber coached teams.  
 
The bright spots have included rookies Matt Pierce and netminding twosome Robert Mayer and Jeremy Smith. Matt Pierce has managed a point per game with 11 goals and three assists in 14 games thus far. He also managed to net his first professional hat trick against the Nailers, too. Mayer is from Czechoslovakia and is a Canadiens top prospect drafted last summer.
 
Smith has shown brilliance in the net, having been near the top of the league stats earlier in the month. He is currently eighth among goalies (third among rookies), with a 2.60 goals-against-average and a .897 save percentage.  
 
Veterans Scott Reynolds, Barrett Ehgoetz, and Dwayne Zinger have played solidly in both zones helping to guide the newcomers along.
 
Attendance has been a positive for this season as well. There were 8,944 screaming school kids in attendance for a Cyclones win over Trenton for the Hockey in Education Day promotion recently. This annual daytime game features exercises in science, math, and meteorology while introducing a new generation to the sport. The team has drawn at or near the top in fan attendance to date, aided in part by the exciting come from behind wins of late.
 
Coach Weber has been short-handed at times as well. He recently had to sign three players just prior to game time against The Wheeling Nailers and still played short a forward and a defenseman.   AHL call-ups have been brief, but frequent in the early part of the season.
 
The Cyclones have won three games against the West Virginians so far this season, which has been a far different story from chasing the Kalamazoo Wings; who have led the division since day one. The Cyclones haven’t cracked the win column against their northern rivals yet this season. Division games will be hard fought for this crew. The North is a slug it out division with terse rivalries and talented squads.
 
This season the penalty kill unit has been stellar, and has ranked near the top in man disadvantage kill situations and shorthanded goals. After eight games the penalty kill unit was 100 percent (33). Scott Reynolds has been a major contributor to this unit.  
 
The Power Play unit has been an up and down proposition though. Strong one game (three for seven) then zero of seven the next night. The almost constant pressure to perform on the man advantage has been a work in progress thus far.   Chuck Weber emphasizes precise work in these situations because three goal periods come in handy when your team is behind.
 
Overall performance has been good for a young team that has already been tested by call-ups and the ever changing faces in the locker room . The veteran leaders remain constant and provide structure that younger team mates need for success on and off the ice.   
 
Contact the writer at rob.huelsman@prohockeynews.com