Desroches Derails Express in OT, Cyclones Drop Leafs Sunday

            The Cyclones continued their winning ways this past weekend with a 3-2 OT victory Saturday against divisional rival Walpole Express and a 7-2 victory Sunday against the Laconia Leafs. Saturday, the Cyclones were strong offensively right out of the gate, firing shot after shot on Walpole goalie Derek Kump. But it was Walpole who struck first at the 12 minute mark for a 1-0 lead. Just 6 minutes later, however, the Cyclones would found themselves on a power play, and Captain Kevin Vanous answered Walpole’s goal with a quick snapshot off of a rebound to tie things at 1-1 heading into the first intermission. After a scoreless eight minutes in the beginning of the second period, Londonderry, NH native Tommy Thompson made a great individual rush to beat Express goalie Kump for a 2-1 lead that remained as the teams headed into the third frame. In the third, the Cyclones kept the pressure on Kump, but with just 2:33 to play in regulation, the Express tied things up at 2-2 to force the game into overtime. In the extra frame, the Cyclones killed off an Express power play and then got a power play of their own, and just thirty-two seconds into their one man advantage, Assistant Captain Ryan Desroches took a back door feed from Assistant Captain Stephen Cook to drop the Express in OT. 

In Sunday’s game against the Laconia Leafs, the Cyclones’ offensive strength continued, tallying 73 shots on the Leafs goalie, eventually resulting in the Cyclones’ 7-2 victory. Just three minutes into the game, the scoring began, with Gerald Owen finding the back of the net, followed by a goal Mike Naso for a 2-1 lead at the end of the first. The Cyclones would blow the game wide open in the second frame, with Gerald Owen getting his second of the game, Mike Naso scoring a hat trick, and Stephen Cook increasing his AJHL defensemen points lead with 35 points.

The Cyclones take a two week holiday break and resume play January 2^nd and 3^rd when they travel to Hartford, CT for a weekend series with the Hartford Jr. Wolfpack.