The Cincinnati Cyclones fell 5-3 in a back-and-forth game Saturday night. It was Riley Weselowski’s first game as head coach after taking the job this offseason, though he’s no stranger to Cincinnati, having played one season for the Cyclones during his career.
Related: Q&A with Cincinnati Cyclones Head Coach Riley Weselowski
Ken Appleby stopped 33 of 38 shots in the loss. Captain Justin Vaive scored twice, Jake Johnson added two assists, and the Cyclones went 1-for-3 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.
For the Nailers, Maxim Pavlenko made 27 saves on 30 shots in his ECHL debut after coming to North America from Russia. Matthew Quercia scored the game-winner late; Cole Tymkin, Zach Urdahl, Mike Posma, and Brayden Edwards also found the back of the net.
Posma, Urdahl, and Edwards all scored their first professional goals as the Nailers got goals from five different skaters.
First Period
Posma opened the scoring when his shot slipped through Appleby’s blockers and trickled in.
Budnick found Tymkin with a slick pass from behind the net, and Tymkin snapped it past Appleby to make it 2-0 late in the period.
The Cyclones finally broke through in the final seconds of the first. Luke Grainger tipped in a shot from Ryan Kirwan to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The two former NCHC standouts connected on the play. Grainger captained Western Michigan two seasons ago and put up 48 points, while Kirwan had 39 points with Arizona State last season.
Second Period
A roughing penalty by Quercia at the end of the first came back to bite early in the second. Just 37 seconds in, Vaive redirected a shot from Ben King on the power play to tie the game.
Yet another late-period goal came, this time for the Nailers. Urdahl cleaned up a loose puck in front, giving the Nailers a 3-2 lead heading into the third. Urdahl, another former NCHC product, had 22 points last season with Nebraska-Omaha.
Third Period
Just over four minutes into the third, Vaive struck again, cleaning up a shot from Owen Cole to tie it 3-3.
With under two minutes left in regulation, Quercia ripped home a wrister off a pass from Logan Pietila to put the Nailers back in front and stun the Cincinnati crowd.
Edwards iced it moments later. He stole the puck on the forecheck into the o-zone and deked Appleby forehand-to-backhand to make it 5-3.
The Cyclones are now off until next Friday, Oct. 24, when the Fort Wayne Komets come to town for a 7:35 PM puck drop.
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