CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Cincinnati Cyclones (17-5-3-2) hosted their in-state rival Toledo Walleye (12-12-4-1) inside Heritage Bank Center to close out 2022. It was a matchup between the second and fifth place teams in the Central Division.
The Walleye put on an offensive show in the first 20-minutes. They started the scoring 4:39 into the first period when Mitchell Herd got a shot off from the high slot that Beck Warm wasn’t able to stop. It was goal number eight on the season for Herd, with Sam Craggs getting his fourth assist and Cole Fraser his sixth assist on the goal.
Just over two minutes later at 6:45 of the first, the Cyclones would tie it at 1-1. Arvin Atwal would let loose a slapshot from the point that Matt McLoed would get a stick on to redirect the puck past John Lethemon to tie the game at one. It was goal number seven on the year for McLoed. Atwal and Patrick Polino were credited with the assists. For Atwal it was number five on the year and theP4:14th for Polino.
The Walleye would get the goal back and take the one goal lead again just nine seconds later with Sam Craggs scoring his second goal in two days for his second goal of the season. Conlan Keenan and Cole Fraser picked up the assists. It was assist number four for Keenan and number seven for Fraser.
The Walleye would find themselves on the power play thanks to a Josh Burnside holding minor at 16:40 of the first period. 30-seconds into the power play, Brandon Hawkins would shoot from the high circle to beat Warm for ninth goal of the year and give the Walleye the 3-1 lead. Riley McCourt picked up his second assist while Trenton Bliss picked up his fourth.
The second period was pretty uneventful for the most part, until the final 40-seconds, when the net behind Lethemon got knocked off it’s moorings for the fourth time during the game, resulting in a very raucous crowd of 9,493 to loudly boo and the players from both teams to get into a scuffle. Cincinnati’s Atwal and Toledo’s Chays Ruddy would both receive two minutes for roughing.
The Cyclones would claw back to within one goal at 8:22 of the third period when Josh Passolt would move into the slot and get one past Lethemon for his ninth goal of the year. Zack Andrusiak got his 15th assist, while Atwal got his sixth and second of the game.
Thomas Ebbing of the Walleye would get called for a slashing penalty at 11:28, which resulted in Ebbing and Atwal dropping the gloves, which Atwal easily won to the joy of the hometown faithful. Atwal would also get a two minute instigator penalty. After it was all said and done, the Cyclones would find themselves on the powerplay, down by one and a two man advantage, as they pulled Warm for an extra attacker.
The Cyclones would make the Walleye pay, as captain Justin Vaive would slam home a rebound to tie the game at 3-3 with 1:16 to play. It was goal number twelve for Vaive on the season. Zack Andrusiak got his 15th assist and Jalen Smereck got his 13th assist on the goal.
It would take overtime to settle the last game of 2022, but the Cyclones would get the game winner 1:54 into the overtime when Zack Andrusiak let lose a sharp angle one-timer for his ninth goal of the season. The fans would get so excited they’d knock out a pane of the glass.
With the win, the Cyclones move to just two points back from Central Division leading Indy Fuel. The Cyclones are now off until next Saturday when they host the Wheeling Nailers (14-14-1-0).
Contact the Writer/Photographer: Jeffrey.Everroad@prohockeynews.com
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