March begins with road trip for Cyclones

CINCINNATI, Ohio – February ended with a loss at Johnstown that should have been a win over the last place team from the East division. Still atop the North division with 75 points and second in the American Conference as the season winds down, the Cyclones look to solidify their seeding for the post season. For that reason the road trip takes on added importance as the divisional races heat up. Coach Weber keeps his cards close to the vest, as the trade deadline nears, always on the lookout for positive additions to the squad.
 
Game two on the road trip, the ‘Clones faced the Checkers from Charlotte. The Checkers scored first, on a power play, which the Cyclones answered with a shorthanded tally. The first period ended with the score tied 1-1. The Cyclones added to their ECHL leading total of shorthanded scores, now with 14 for the season.
 
The second period began with fisticuffs between Checker T.J. Reynolds and Hans Benson of the Cyclones. Ryan DelMonte put a shot down low, on charlotte goalie Ryan Munce that gave the visitors a 2-1 lead. The Checkers tied the score at 8:49 of the period. With 3:37 left in the stanza, Ian McKenzie drove a bouncing puck through traffic, past Munce to regain the lead at 3-2. Charlotte retied the game at 3 apiece with less than two minutes left in the period.
 
The Cyclones Max Lacroix scored at 15:27, of the third period, to regain the lead. Barret Ehgoetz added an empty net goal to secure the win for the Cyclones.
 
March fifth, the squad travelled to South Carolina to face-off with the Stingrays. The conference leaders are a force to be reckoned with, as the season winds down to the playoffs. Todd Ford was in goal for the Stingrays looking to pick up his 100^th ECHL win this night.
 
Robert Mayer started in goal for the Cyclones after a week in Montreal with the NHL club subbing for Olympian Jaroslav Halak. Mayer made two big saves during the second South Carolina power play of the game. Mayer stopped a shot by Gregg Johnson from the top of the slot as well.
 
The Cyclones currently rank sixteenth in the ECHL on the power play. The period ended with goose eggs on the scoreboard. The Cyclones took the lead 6:27 into the second, on a goal by Jimmy Kilpatrick. An assist doled out to Scott Reynolds. The Stingrays tied the score with a power play goal by Trevor Bruess.
 
The second ended in an even score similar to the first. The third stanza began with the home boys on the power play, which the visiting Cyclones killed efficiently.   Lacroix fired a puck over the shoulder of Ford, into the back of the net, to regain the lead for the ’Clones. Brian O’Hanley added another tally, to up the ante, to 3-1 for the visiting Cyclones at 7:58.
 
Jay Cascalenda scored a second tally for the Rays to make it a 3-2 game. Quickly though, Brett Robinson of the Cyclones, tallied another and a two-goal lead was regained. The Cyclones defeated the defending Kelly Cup Champions for the third time in this season.   Mayer gained his seventeenth win in net.
 
The second game of the series was dominated by the Stingrays, leaving the road trip two-up and two-down at this point. Following South Carolina on Sunday afternoon, the Cyclones paid a visit to the home of the Gwinnett Gladiators for the first time on Monday.
 
  It turned out to be another flat effort for the Cyclones. Fans were unable to access the B2 feed, due to a broken piece of equipment. Late in the second period a link was posted to the Gwinnett radio feed allowing distant fans to at least hear the remainder of the game.
 
The Gladiators took advantage of the disorganization by the ‘Clones players to stun the visitors, adding another loss. The power play was missing-in-action again as in the previous loss to the Stingrays. Difficulty also for the penalty kill unit’s special teams seemed essentially to ignore Coach Weber’s system.
 
Prior to the trade deadline, Weber sent Forward Mark Voakes and Defenseman Scott Marchesi to the Bakersfield Condors for future considerations. Rumors abound as to whom the fans think the trade will eventually involve from the Condors. Is Chuck finished tinkering with his line up or is an even more stunning switcheroo in the works? The next few days will tell that story.
 
 
Contact the author/photographer at Rob.Huelsman@Prohockeynews.com