Chiefs Halted By Royals
October 31, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Johnstown Chiefs News Release
READING, Pa. - The Johnstown Chiefs were defeated by the Reading Royals on Saturday afternoon by a score of 4-3 preventing them from picking up their first win of the season.
With the early 1:05 start time on Halloween, it was the Reading Royals who came out of the gate strong and built a two-goal lead midway through the first period. After the Chiefs killed off an interference minor to Jim McKenzie, Reading was able to keep the pressure on and Stefano Giliati slipped in his sixth of the season at 9:03. Just 14 seconds later Scott Fletcher crashed the net for his first of the season to stretch the Royals' lead. Undaunted, the Chiefs answered just one minute later with Greg Gallagher potting his first goal of the season. Matt Robinson fed the puck to Dan Collins in behind the Reading net as Gallagher crashed the front. Collins swept it out front, and Gallagher quickly wristed it past Beau Erickson.
In the second, Johnstown took hold of the momentum early and tested Erickson with four shots in the first two minutes of the frame. The rookie out of UConn, though, held his ground allowing for Dannick Bouchard to widen Reading's lead to 3-1 at 13:19. The goal was a 5-on-3 marker. In his second game of the season, Trevor Hendrikx cut into the deficit with his first goal of the season. It came on the power play at 16:33 with assists going to Matt Robinson and Jim McKenzie. Ryan Menei nearly tied the game with two seconds left in the period, but Erickson's stick save kept Johnstown down by one.
Reading found the scoreboard first in the third period, as well, with Bouchard and Nick St. Pierre setting up Ben McLeod for the power play goal at 12:52. Just a minute and three seconds later McKenzie pulled the Chiefs back within one with an unassisted breakaway goal. It was McKenzie's second in as many nights and his second point of the game to go along with his assist.
Goaltender Shane Connelly was pulled for the extra attacker with just under a minute remaining and that extra attacker, Robinson, nearly tied it for the Chiefs with a hard, spinning slap shot.
Connelly made 26 saves in his second pro start while the Chiefs were 2-for-5 on the power play and 5-for-7 on the penalty kill.
Mark your calendars! The Chiefs are back on home ice on Wednesday, November 11 against the Reading Royals at 7:35 p.m. There will be a special pregame ceremony to honor military veterans and the Chiefs will be wearing special camouflage jerseys that will be auctioned off live immediately following the game. The Chiefs are also offering $5 tickets to all active military and military veterans through advance purchase. Great seats are still available and you can get yours by going to www.johnstownchiefs.com or by calling 1-800-TICKETMASTER.
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