CINCINNATI, OH – The Cincinnati Cyclones scored two goals in the final 4:45 of Friday night’s contest to defeat the Iowa Heartlanders, 3-1. Zack Andrusiak scored the game-winner and Patrick Polino scored two goals for Cincinnati. Mark Sinclair recorded 29 saves. Hunter Jones stopped 35 shots for Iowa and Tyler Busch scored the only goal of the game for the Heartlanders.

This was a scoreless tie through the first period, but Polino gave Cincinnati the lead 9:55 in the second. Matt Berry moved into the Iowa zone near the boards, then curled back toward the blueline before making a pass to Polino, who was just below the left face-off circle. He moved in on Jones, firing a wrist shot through the legs for his 17th goal of the year.

That would be the only goal through the first 45 minutes of this contest. Iowa had no answers for Sinclair, but finally got on the board at 5:21 of the third when Busch scored on the power-play. Nolan Orzeck took a shot from the point that Zach White tipped, slowing it down slightly. That allowed Busch to chip a wrist shot over the shoulder of Sinclair for his 14th goal of the year.

The score remained tied over the next 10 minutes, but Andrusiak gave his team the lead at 15:15. Kohen Olischefski made a perfect pass across the slot to Andrusiak who redirected the puck past Jones for his 26th goal of the year.

It took just 76 seconds before Cincinnati was back on the board. Berry led a rush through the neutral zone and into the Iowa end. He passed the puck to Polino in the slot, who went across the goal mouth before lifting a backhander over the blocker of Jones for his second goal of the night.

Iowa was outshot in the contest, 38-30. The Cyclones are now 14-0-2 over their last 16 games.

The Iowa Heartlanders (15-31-13) remain in Cincinnati to take on the Cyclones (38-12-9) again on Saturday. The puck drops at 6:35 Iowa time.

Gamesheet

by Robert Pannier