June 6, 2008

Cincinnati, Ohio - Former Mercyhurst College players, forward Scott Reynolds and defenseman Conrad Martin, are wearing championship rings today. The Cincinnati Cyclones netted a pair of third period goals to break a 1-1 tie last night and give the club a 3-1 win over Las Vegas. The victory gave the Cyclones their first-ever Kelly Cup championship with the triumph. The Cyclones won the series in six games.

Reynolds and Martin both graduated in 2006 after completing four-year careers. Reynolds, who was team captain in 2004-05 and 2005-06, finished his career with 106 points in 147 games. Martin, assistant captain in his senior year, accumulated 46 points in 125 contests. The two were parts of teams that won two conference championships (MAAC 2003 and AHA 2005) and played against Minnesota and Boston College, respectively in the NCAA Regionals.

Reynolds finished with 38 points and a +20 rating in 71 games for the Cyclones during the regular season. Martin totaled 10 points and a +18 rating in 31 games. Martin cashed a power play goal in Cincinnati's 4-0 win in the 5th game of the series, which gave the Cyclones a 3-2 advantage.

Last night's crowd of 12,722 was the largest in ECHL playoff history and pushed the Cyclones attendance for the postseason to 54,289--the eleventh biggest total in league history.

It is the first time in 35 years that a Cincinnati pro hockey team has competed in its league finals. The last team to compete for a championship was the 1973 Cincinnati Swords, which captured the AHL's Calder Cup in five games over Nova Scotia. It was the first time since April 3, 1955, that a champion from the Queen City was crowned in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Mohawks won a seventh game against the Troy Bruins for the IHL's Turner Cup championship.

The teams battled for the Kelly Cup, presented annually by the ECHL to its playoff champion. This is the 20th season of operation for the ECHL and the Cyclones first trip to the Finals series. Cincinnati swept Johnstown in four games, knocked off Reading in seven games and defeated South Carolina in five games to reach this series. Las Vegas dropped Stockton in six games, Alaska in five games and swept Utah to reach the Kelly Cup Finals. It is the first-ever Finals trip for the Wranglers as well.