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ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones

Cyclones Hang On For 7-5 Win In Fort Wayne

February 18, 2023 - ECHL (ECHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones News Release


Cincinnati Cyclones' Louie Caporusso battles Fort Wayne Komets' Mark Rassell
Cincinnati Cyclones' Louie Caporusso battles Fort Wayne Komets' Mark Rassell
(Cincinnati Cyclones)

Fort Wayne, IN- A 4-0 start helped the Cyclones hang on to prevent a Fort Wayne rally, beating the Komets on the road Saturday, 7-5.

The 'Clones have won five of their last six games and have points in 10 of 11 games. They sit in a tie for first place in the Central Division with Toledo, owning a 29-12-5-3 record with 66 points.

Cincinnati built itself a 2-0 lead less than five minutes into the game, starting with Jalen Smereck (6) scoring on a right point shot that beat Ryan Fanti through traffic at the 3:12 mark. Kohen Olischefski scored his first of two goals in the period less than 90 seconds later when Matej Pekar slid the rookie center a pass to skate right in front of the goal, burying it by Fanti on the glove-side.

Matt Berry (10) joined in on the fun 11:22 into the game when he struck from down-low due to the puck being worked there from Patrick Polino and Bray Crowder. The 'Clones capped the period off when Olischefski scored off a two-on-one rebound left out by Pekar at the 15:14 mark, giving Cincinnati a 4-0 edge.

Mark Sinclair stood tall late in the first, as the Komets were afforded 1:47 of a five-on-three power play. He made 13 saves in the period and a season high-24 in the third.

Tristian Pelletier got Fort Wayne on the board 6:53 into the second period, capitalizing on a turnover and converting after a cross-ice pass into the slot from Shawn Boudrias. The two teams traded goals later in the period, as Pekar (8) scored at the 11:59 mark when Matt Berry had a shot get blocked, but the puck then carried off a Komets defender and into the left-wing side, where Pekar found a puck and batted it into the net for the 5-1 advantage. With 2:06 remaining in the second, Mark Rassell got it back for the Komets on a power play goal in the low slot, making it a 5-2 game.

The Komets scored three times in the third period, but Justin Vaive (23) remained hot and got the eventual game-winning-goal. After Matt Alvaro scored a power play goal 2:24 into the third to make it 5-3, Vaive scored in-between the legs of Fanti just 11 seconds later to again but Cincinnati up, 6-3. The captain collected a pass after Louie Caporusso entered the zone with the puck. Vaive fired a wrist shot that went under Fanti into the goal. The 33-year-old now has seven goals over his last five games.

The Komets retaliated with another goal by Adam Brubacher midway through the third, then again when Adam Brubacher scored on a one-timer from the right circle during a five-on-three power play, making it 6-5. The score remained into the dying minutes of the game, when Caporusso was sent to the box, allowing Fort Wayne to pull the goalie and the Komets to get a six-on-four advantage. With 16 seconds remaining, Cincinnati intercepted a puck for Lee Lapid and Patrick Polino to skate down for an odd-man opportunity, ending with Polino slamming the empty net goal in, capping off a 7-5 win.

The Cyclones are off until Wednesday night, when they return to home ice to take on the Norfolk Admirals.

Call (513) 421-PUCK for tickets and more information, and stay on top of all the latest team updates and information on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!

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Cincinnati Cyclones' Louie Caporusso battles Fort Wayne Komets' Mark Rassell
Cincinnati Cyclones' Louie Caporusso battles Fort Wayne Komets' Mark Rassell
   

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