News release
20 December 2013
CINCINNATI, Oh. - The Elmira Jackals received a less-than-warm welcome in their first visit of the season to U.S. Bank Arena on Friday night. The Cincinnati Cyclones picked up a 5-0 win to even the season series at one win each at drop Elmira's record to 9-12-2 on the season.
At the onset of Friday's game the Jackals had out-scored their opponents 21-18 in the first period this season. The first has also been Elmira's most productive in terms of goal production, but the Cyclones were able to limit the Jackals to two shots over the first half of the period and Elmira didn't test rookie goalie Joe Howe as sternly as it wanted. Howe turned away each of the seven shots he faced while, at the other end of the ice, Maxime Clermont was nearly as good. He stopped nine of the 10 chances Cincinnati sent his way, but Dan Eves capitalized on a 2-on-1 off a feed from Jonathan Hazen 5:30 into the game to give the Cyclones the lead.
Things snowballed in Cincinnati's favor from early in the second period on. Paul Crowder doubled the lead when he one-timed a pass from Anthony Luciani past Clermont with 1:23 gone in the middle frame. Just under 10 minutes later Logan Shaw lifted a perfectly placed wrist shot over Clermont's catching glove for a 3-0 advantage. Elmira launched 10 shots on Howe but couldn't solve the rookie and headed into the third down three.
An early third period power play tilted the ice in Cincinnati's favor and took away the steam from a potential Elmira comeback. Luciani and Adam Brace padded Cincinnati's lead with a pair of late goals, but the main storyline was Howe who stopped 27 shots in all for his first pro shutout.
Clermont was saddled with the loss in a 26-save effort. Elmira was 0-for-1 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.