MOLINE, Ill. – Sam Warning scored two goals and added an assist and Kyle Follmer also scored twice as the host Quad City Mallards (24-21-5) rolled past the Cincinnati Cyclones (25-20-5) 6-2 Friday night.
With their third straight win the Mallards moved into third place in the ECHL’s Midwest Division and took over eighth place in the Western Conference.
The Mallards built a 4-0 lead over the first two periods. Follmer buried a centering feed from Matt Neal- who assisted on both of Follmer’s goals- to kick-start the onslaught just one minute and 12 seconds into the game. The gap stretched to 2-0 when Guillaume Gelinas’ drive from the high slot caromed in off Cyclone starting goaltender Andy Iles at 8:45 of the first period.
Brady Brassart- who also had an assist- rifled in the third Mallard goal from the right wing circle at 7:12 of the second period. Warning made nearly a full circuit of the offensive zone before sweeping home number four from the top of the left circle at 15:37 of the second.
Nick Huard’s point-blank power play goal got the Cyclones on the scoreboard for the first time at 1:23 of the third period. However, just over two minutes later, Follmer pounced on another Neal centering pass to score his second goal, the Mallards’ fifth and the first against Brandon Whitney, who replaced Isles in the Cincinnati net at the start of the third.
The Cyclones’ Brandon Gracel trimmed the margin to 5-2 from the side of the net at 16:13 mark of the final frame but Warning would cap off the Mallard victory by scoring from the right wing circle with 1:34 remaining.
The Mallards and Cyclones meet again tomorrow evening at 7:05 p.m. on Chick-fil-A Night at the iWireless Center. Fans who make a purchase at either of Chick-fil-A’s two Davenport locations can get a coupon good for $5 off a ticket to tomorrow night’s game while supplies last. The Davenport Chick-fil-A restaurants are located in the Northpark Mall and at 2945 East 53rd Street. $5-off coupons can be redeemed at the iWireless Center box office. In addition, fans who purchase tickets to tomorrow night’s game at the box office will receive a coupon for a free Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich. Also tomorrow night, fans attending the game will have the opportunity to win free Chick-fil-A items and meet the Chick-fil-A cow, who will be on hand to greet fans and pose for photographs.
With Quad City Mallards release