Cyclones down Solar Bears 5-1

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Cyclones scored twice in the first and added three more in the second en route to a 5-1 victory over the Orlando Solar Bears at the Amway Center on Wednesday night. F Mickey Lang scored the lone goal for the Solar Bears, his 40th of the season.


Cincinnati used a 59 second burst to grab a 2-0 lead in the first period. First, at 3:03, F Barry Almeida notched his 11th of season after taking a cross ice pass from D Mike Dalhuisen. Then, at 4:02, F Matt Tinordi doubled the Cincinnati lead when he finished off a nice passing play from F Josh Birkholtz and F Zach Budish with a snap shot into the top left corner of the net. The Cyclones continued to hold the 2-0 advantage at the end of the first frame.

Three more goals in the middle frame helped the Cyclones find a 5-0 advantage. First, Birkholtz finished off a breakaway on a power play after the puck deflected off a skate in the neutral zone, and then F Byron Froese scored on a shorthanded breakaway when he deked to his backhand and slid the puck inside the right post. The Cyclones finished off the second period scoring when Almeida found his second of the game, taking his own rebound off a kick save from G Maxime Clermont and depositing the puck over the line.

The Solar Bears got on the board with a power play goal in the third period. D Cody Wild moved the puck to F Mickey Lang who one-timed the shot into the top right corner of the net at 7:08. It was as close as the Solar Bears would get, as Orlando fell by the final 5-1 score to the Cyclones.

Three Stars: 1. B. Almeida (CIN); 2. R. Madore (CIN); 3. J. Birkholtz (CIN)
Power Plays: ORL: 1/4; CIN: 1/4
Shots: ORL: 29; CIN: 44

Notes:
G Cody Reichard stopped all 17 shots he faced in 25:50 worth of action... F Mickey Lang scored his 40th goal of the season, becoming the first ECHL player to hit that mark this year... F Jacob Cepis received his first fighting major as Solar Bear early in the third period... The 23 shots surrendered by Orlando in the second period is the most the have surrendered in a single period this season... F Wade MacLeod returned to the Solar Bears for his first game with the team since a two goal performance on November 28. He had an assist in the game.

WFTV