ELMIRA, New York – It was a good news/bad news story for the Cincinnati Cyclones at Elmira on Friday night. The good news was that Cincinnati found a way to score two goals in the first 3:20. The bad news was that was all the offense the club could muster in a 4-2 loss to the unbeaten Jackals (6-0). Matt Pierce and Dustin Sproat scored the goals for the Cyclones.
The Cyclones held a 2-1 edge after the first period. Cincinnati drew first blood just 1:17 into the period, as Matt Pierce stuffed his third score of the season past Elmira goaltender Chris Holt. Dustin Sproat had the assist on the score. Sproat would get a shorthanded goal of his own at 3:20—his first of the season from Reid Cashman. Matt Lowry’s second goal of the season off a heavy rebound off the end boards cut the deficit, as Travis Gawryletz and Brendan Connolly. The shots on goal favored Cincinnati, 13-11, in the opening 20 minutes.
Elmira scored the only goal of the second period to level the scores at two apiece. Chanse Fitzpatrick netted his fifth goal of the year at 15:31. The four-on-four goal came as Fitzpatrick was on the right wing side and snapped a shot just inside the left post. The shots in the period favored Cincinnati, 12-5, as the Cyclones were unable to convert a five minute major penalty for boarding to Olivier Proulx on Cincinnati rookie defenseman Kevin Roeder.
Elmira scored the final two goals to close the scoring in the 4-2 verdict. Chris Korchinski scored the game winner—a shorthanded goal at 10:45 unassisted. An emptynet goal by Justin Donati at 18:48 closed out the scoring. The shots on goal in the third period were even at ten each and for the game the Cyclones outshot the Jackals, 35-26.
Chris Holt took the victory to run his record to 3-0, stopping 33 shots. Jeremy Smith suffered his first loss as a professional (3-1), stopping 22 shots in the effort. Elmira improves to 6-0 on the season—leaders of the East Division, while the Cyclones drop to 4-2 and are in second place in the North Division.
