|
jevers
Administrator
USA
1367 Posts |
 Posted - 04/30/2010 : 11:15:27 PM
|
CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Reading Royals used a three goal effort from Olivier Labelle and a 36 save performance from Matt Dalton to collect a 5-2 win from the Cincinnati Cyclones on Friday night at U.S. Bank Arena. Brett Robinson scored a pair of goals in the loss for the Cyclones.
This was the first game of the American Conference Finals, a series that the Cyclones have advanced into three consecutive seasons. Cincinnati is one of three teams (Greensboro from 1989-91 and Alaska 2004-06) to advance to the league's semifinals. The second game in the third round of the USA Collision Centers postseason for the Cyclones occurs on Saturday night at 7:30pm. John Morrell hot dogs are priced at one dollar each through the evening. Cincinnati is the fifth-seeded team in the conference, while Reading is the seventh-seeded squad.
Reading scored both goals in the first period. Olivier Labelle notched his eighth goal of the playoffs at 6:56 of the term, as Daniel Steiner and Ryan Cruthers had the assists on the power play goal. Labelle would get his second of the term and ninth of the playoffs when he exited the penalty box and took a feed up the right wing side from Marc Cavosie at 19:18. The Royals have enjoyed fast starts in the Kelly Cup playoffs, having outscored the opposition, 16-4, in the first term of games. The shots also favored Reading, 13-11.
The Royals made it 3-0 at 3:58 of the middle period when Andrew Sarauer buried his second of the playoffs from the left side. Rob Kwiet had the assist. Cincinnati got on the board at 8:52 when Hans Benson stole a pass at the Reading blueline and slid it into the high slot for Brett Robinson to one-time into the Royals net. It was Robinson's fourth goal of the playoffs. The shots favored Cincinnati, 16-8, in the frame.
Robinson's second of the night and fourth of the postseason at 7:44 of the third inched the Cyclones to within one, at 3-2. Mark Van Guilder and Brian O'Hanley had the helpers on the score. On Reading's second power play of the night at 12:11, Labelle completed his hat trick with his tenth of the postseason from Ben Gordon and Cruthers. An empty net shorthanded goal from Gavin Morgan at 19:36 closed the scoring in the game and brought the final total to 5-2. The shots on goal in the third period again favored Cincinnati, 11-7, and for the night the Cyclones won the shot battle, 38-28.
The winning goaltender was Matt Dalton, who stopped 36 shots in taking his Kelly Cup playoff leading eighth triumph. Jeremy Smith was pinned with his fifth loss of the postseason with a 23 save effort. Reading was two for two on the power play, while Cincinnati was zero for six with the extra attacker.
The Cyclones posted a 44-25-3 record in the regular season and entered the postseason as the fifth placed team in the American Conference. Cincinnati upset fourth-seeded and defending Kelly Cup champion South Carolina in the opening round. The best of five series went the full five conteststhe last three being decided in overtime, at Charleston. In the semifinals, the Cyclones went a full seven games before knocking off Charlottethe regular season American Conference champion. This is Cincinnati's fourth trip to the conference finals, the club has won one of the other three visits.
The Royals turned in a 37-29-6 record to finish in seventh place in the American Conference standings. Reading upended North Division champion Kalamazoo in five games and then swept sixth-seeded Florida in four games. This is the club's second trip to the conference finals-having lost to Florida in its other trip in 2005.
Tickets for the 2010-11 Cincinnati Cyclones season are now on sale, as will as games in the American Conference Finals round. The Cyclones Sales Department can be reached at 513-421-PUCK, extension 3. All road Kelly Cup playoff games will be carried on ESPN 1530 and on the club's website at: www.cycloneshockey.com.
http://tinyurl.com/22scxmu
|
Stay connected with The CycWard!
Join/Follow/Friend us at:FACEBOOK PAGE
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-CycWard-Section-60/14471144997
FACEBOOK GROUP
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=21564286069
TWITTER:
http://www.twitter.com/cycward
|
|
Topic Locked
