Wednesday, December 22, 1999
Chicago 5, Cyclones 4
BY JOHN P. WISE
Enquirer Contributor
The Chicago Wolves seemed to be playing a game of “whatever you can do, we can do better” Tuesday at the Firstar Center. And their hosts, the Cincinnati Cyclones, seemed to be afraid to take the lead after tying the game three times in the final two periods.
Chicago got a goal from Kevin Dahl with 5:22 left and held off the Cyclones for a 5-4 win.
“I liked the way we tried and skated, but I think four games in five nights kind of caught up to us,” Cyclones coach Ron Smith said.
The Cyclones scored the game's first goal before Chicago scored the next two. From there, the home team tied the game three times but allowed go-ahead scores on each occasion.
Stefan Ustorf scored a pair of power-play goals for the Cyclones, while Todd Simon added three assists. He leads the league in that category with 30.
“I've always been that kind of a player,” Simon said. “I'm on the point on the power play and we've got some good goal scorers here. I always look for other guys to score.”
Ian MacNeil and Steve Bancroft also scored goals for the Cyclones.
Cincinnati fell to 16-12-3 and missed a chance to move past idle Orlando for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Solar Bears, with 36 points, remain one point ahead of the Cyclones.
Chicago got goals from five different players, twice within 64 seconds of Cyclones' goals.
Wolves' forward Brian Noonan tied the game just 1:04 after MacNeil's goal early in the second period. Noonan's goal was the first allowed by Cyclones' goalie Mark Fitzpatrick in 144:38. With consecutive shutouts of Detroit over the weekend, Fitzpatrick became the first Cyclone to accomplish the feat, and was IHL Goaltender of the Week.
But Fitzpatrick allowed five goals Tuesday for only the third time this season.
“I haven't experienced too many guys coming off two straight shutouts, so I didn't know what to expect,” Smith said.
Chicago ....... 0 3 2 5
Cincinnati ....... 0 2 2 4
First period - None.
Second period - Cin, MacNeil 6 (Tsleios, Esau) 2:02; Chi, Noonan 13 (Berens, Dahl) 3:06; Chi, Maltais 14 (LaRouche, Marinucci) 5:08; Cin, Ustorf 11 (Simon, Dionne) 7:42 (ppg); Chi, Lawrence 1 (Maltais, LaRose) 19:07.
Third period - Cin, Bancroft 4 (Simon, Willis) 5:37 (ppg); Chi, LaRose 5 (Plante) 5:53 (shg); Cin, Ustorf (2) 12 (Bancroft, Simon) 7:29 (ppg); Chi, Dahl 1 (Pearson, Plante) 14:38.
Shots on goal: Chi 12-11-6 29; Cin 8-9-11 28. Power plays: Chi 0-for-5; Cin 3-for-7. Goalies: Chi Young (24 saves); Cin Fitzpatrick (24). Attendance: 5,436. Time of game: 2:37.
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