WHEELING, West Virginia – The Cincinnati Cyclones utilized a two goal, one assist performance from rookie Jake Dietrich and claimed a 7-3 win at Wheeling on Saturday night. The Nailers continue to lead the best of seven series, two games to one.
Dustin Sproat scored twice and Jason Woll finished plus-five for Cincinnati in the triumph.
The Cyclones won in their postseason game of the year, after leading the ECHL with 22 road victories in the regular season.
The first period ended in a 1-1 tie. Bryan Ewing took advantage of a turnover in the Cincinnati end to hammer home an unassisted goal for his second score of the postseason. Ewing’s goal came at 13:11. The Cyclones capitalized on a Wheeling turnover in its end at 19:41 when Dustin Sproat picked up the loose puck and slipped it under Curtis Darling on the backhand to level the scores at the first intermission. The Cyclones doubled up the shots in the first period over the Nailers, 18-9.
The Cyclones carried the momentum from the late goal in the first into the second frame when Matt Syroczynski scored his second goal of the postseason with a rebound score from the slot. Frederic St. Denis and Barret Ehgoetz had the assists and Cincinnati enjoyed its first lead of the series at 2-1. The lead extended to 3-1 when Jake Dietrich slapped another rebound for his first of the playoffs at 4:28. Justin Johnson and Mac Faulkner collected the helpers on the score. Wheeling cut the deficit to 3-2 when Billy Ryan scored his second of the series at 12:10 from Ewing and Jordan Morrison.
Cincinnati pushed the lead to two at 18:11 when Van Guilder fired a shot from the slot as Barret Ehgoetz centered the puck from behind the net. Jason Woll added the second assist. It marked the first time in the postseason the Cyclones had three goals in a period—the club accomplished the feat 22 times in the regular season.
The Nailers began the third period with a five-on-three power play—the result of two infractions called by referee Steve Patafie within a two second span at the end of the second frame.
Cincinnati made the biggest statement of the evening by eliminating the two man-disadvantage and capitalized on their first rush of the frame in the final frame. Mac Faulkner worked a puck at the right side of the net, collected his own rebound and shoveled it past Darling to make it a 5-2 lead. Mark Santorelli had the assist on the score. At 8:16, the lead extended to 6-2, when Sproat collected his second of the night from Dietrich. Then, at 10:23, Dietrich got his second of the game from Woll and Petit. A late goal for the Nailers from Morrison closed the scoring in the win. The shots on goal in the third were even at eleven apiece and for the game, Cincinnati outshot the Nailers, 45-33.
Loic Lacasse stopped 30 shots in winning his first-ever playoff game. Curtis Darling stopped 34 shots and surrendered six goals along the way.
The fourth game of the best-of-seven series will be Wednesday night (April 14). It will be played at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling. This will be a 7pm contest and will be carried locally on MAX-FM (97.7 and 99.5).
Tickets for the 2009-10 Cincinnati Cyclones season are now on sale. The Cyclones Sales Department can be reached at 513-421-PUCK, extension 3. For the latest news, notes and information on the team, visit: www.cycloneshockey.com . Ask about the Family Four Pack (four tickets, four hot dogs, four Pepsis, four Cyclones winter hats, four public skate passes at SportsPlus and a SportsPlus game card) for just $69!
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