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Reading Royals

Royals Bounce Back to Beat Bombers, 6-2

March 1, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (19-35-4= 42; 7th North Division) of the ECHL gave up the game's first goal, but then rang off six straight, to beat the Dayton Bombers 6-2 at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The victory snapped a three game home losing streak for the Royals, who won for the first time this season in four tries against the Dayton Bombers at the Sovereign Center (1-3-0). Michael Ouzas (win, 17-17-1; 42/44) snapped a personal three game losing streak with his seventh win as a Royal; while David Shantz (loss, 13-12-2, 35/41) sustained his first loss in three starts against Reading (2-1-0). The Royals scored two goals, including what proved to be the game winner, while playing with the man advantage (2-4). The Bombers scored eight seconds into their first power play chance of the game; but could not connect again with the man advantage (1-4).

The Royals got the game's first golden scoring chance when Chris Stevens was awarded the Royals' fifth penalty shot of the season 6:41 into the game when he was hauled from behind on a breakaway into the offensive end. However, Shantz rejected Stevens' effort, giving his team the chance to get on the board first 2:16 later. Eight seconds into Dayton's first power play chance of the night, defenseman Jim Henkemeyer threw a seemingly harmless backhand from the right circle that appeared to deflect off someone or something and end up in the Reading net. The Royals' bounced back, however, with a power play goal of their own forty-nine seconds later. Seven seconds into the Royals first power play chance of the night, Tim Branham fired a shot from the left point that Stevens deflected, causing it to flutter over Shantz and into the net for his fifteenth of the year. The Royals took the lead 13:01 into the first when Mac Faulkner forced a turnover in the offensive end that resulted in a chance for Levi Nelson at the left side of the Bombers' goal. Nelson snapped off a shot that appeared to careen off the left shoulder of Shantz and hit the cross-bar and go in for his first goal as Royal in his fourth game with the team.

The Royals stretched their lead to 5-1 with three straight goals in the second period. The first came on a virtual carbon copy (at the other end of the ice) of the Royals' first goal, when Stevens deflected a Branham shot from left point behind Shantz for his second of the night and sixteenth of the season 2:43 into the period. The second came at the 12:27 mark of the second when Mac Faulkner bagged the team's eleventh short-handed goal of the year. Faulkner carried through the neutral zone into the offensive end and ripped a blast off the top of the right circle that beat Shantz high to the short-side. The third came 1:05 after that when Stevens slipped a pass from low in the left circle to the top of the crease, where Hooton re-directed it into the net for his eighteenth of the year.

The Royals stretched their lead to five (6-1) at the 3:54 mark of the third, when Stevens thwarted a Bombers' breakout and forced a turnover in Dayton's' end on the left wing wall, causing the puck to slide into the low slot, where Dan Rudisuela settled and buried a snap shot behind Shantz for his fifteenth of the year. Dayton bounced back with a goal 26 seconds later, when Justin Chwedoruk buried a rebound off a Logan Bittle shot. However, the Royals' defense held strong for the remainder of the game-including two power play chances for the Bombers-to notch the team's ninth home win of the year (9-16-0).

The Royals return to action on Friday night (March 6 @ 7:05 pm) when the Cincinnati Cyclones visit the Sovereign Center. Friday's game will be broadcast live on the Royals Radio Network Presented by Transmissions by Arbogast (True Oldies WRAW 1340 am in Reading; and The Ticket WLAN 1390 am in Lancaster), as well as on the internet via webcast hosted by Sportsjuice.com, which can be accessed through the Royals website. To become a part of Royals hockey, call 610-898-PUCK or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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