By: Andy Zilch, Bloomington Bison
Bloomington, Ill. – Eddie Matsushima collected four points as the Bloomington Bison defeated the Cincinnati Cyclones 5-2 on Saturday night at Grossinger Motors Arena.
:22 into the game, Lincoln Griffin sent the game’s first shot in the back of the net as the Cyclones took an early lead. His third of the year was scored on a deflection, with an assist from Rhett Parsons and Matt Murphy. Matsushima leveled the score on a rebound goal at 12:17, with assists from Chongmin Lee and Gavin Gould. After back-to-back Cyclone infractions, Matsushima tallied his second of the game and fourth of the season at 15:52. Connor Lockhart and Blake McLaughlin assisted the power play goal.
Both sides recorded seven shots in the second frame. At 16:17, Chas Sharpe scored the equalizer after passes from Ty Voit and Jacob Frasca. This goal moved the game into the third period with a 2-2 tie.
McLaughlin got things going early in the final frame for the Bison, scoring at the 3:10 mark on a one-timer with assists from Brett Budgell and Jake Murray. His third of the year regained the Bison lead. Budgell added to the lead two minutes later with his fourth of the season on a wrist shot from the slot. Assists came from Matsushima and Carter Berger. Lee closed the scoring with an empty net goal from Matsushima for his second of the year at 18:31.
Bison goaltender Mark Sinclair recorded his fourth win on the net with 20 saves on 22 shots. Vyacheslav Peska stopped 19 shots in the loss for Cincinnati. The Bison outshot the Cyclones by a 24-22 margin. The Bison power play went 2-6 while the penalty kill converted two chances.
Tomorrow, the Bison play at 3 p.m. at the Grossinger Motors Arena, which is featuring Sunday Family Fun Day, where KIDS EAT FREE with a voucher for a hot dog, chips, soda, and cookie. Following the final horn, all fans are welcome to join the Bison players for a post-game skate and autograph session. Single-game pricing starts as low as $20! Group pricing with benefits and suite options is also available. Visit bloomingtonbisonhockey.com or call (309) 965-HERD for more information.
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