Four-Goal Third Lifts Reading Over Trenton, 6-3
April 1, 2011 - ECHL (ECHL)
Trenton Devils News Release
Trenton, NJ - Chris Blight and Casey Haines scored in the opening 3:08 of the third period to snap a 2-2 tie and the Reading Royals defeated the Trenton Devils, 6-3, Friday at Sun National Bank Center.
For the Atlantic Division champion Royals (44-22-2-3), the win helps their hopes of an Eastern Conference regular-season championship alive, starting the day a point behind the Greenville Road Warriors. The Devils drop to 26-37-2-6 and finish their 2010-11 schedule at Sun National Bank Center with a record of 15-16-1-4.
The winning goalie in the final game of the season at Sun National Bank Center was Matt Dalton, who made 23 saves on 26 shots, his fourth win in five games vs. Trenton. Prior to taking their first lead of the game in the third period, the Royals received goals from Andrew Sarauer and Olivier Labelle.
Jeff Prough continued his strong play by collecting points on all three Devils goals (two goals, one assist), while Ryan Hayes also scored for Trenton. With 14 saves, the losing goalie was Dave Caruso.
After the teams played on even footing throughout the first half of the opening period, Hayes scored his 23rd goal of the season at 11:27 of the opening frame and gave the Devils a 1-0 lead. Hayes' second goal in the last two games was scored when the Trenton rookie knocked the puck out of mid-air, with Jeff Prough earning the assist.
However, the Royals' league-leading offense responded less than five minutes later, when Olivier Labelle potted his 20th goal of the season. On the power play, Labelle's goal came off a deflection of a feed by Rob Kwiet, and Ryan Cruthers also garnered a helper.
The Devils regained their lead when Jeff Prough scored his first goal of the game at 14:52 of the second period, by scoring on his third attempt of the sequence as he was falling to the ice, after getting tripped at the side of the net by a Reading defenseman. Assists on the play went to J.S. Berube and Chris Berenguer, whose helper was his sixth in his first seven games as a pro.
But, the Royals again responded as Andrew Sarauer scored out of a net-mouth scrum, with 41 seconds left in the second period, to knot the teams 2-2 after 40 minutes.
Building momentum off their tying goal, the Royals went ahead for the first time when Chris Blight beat Caruso with a wrist shot at 1:24 of the third period. Two minutes later, Casey Haines added insurance for the Royals and made the score 4-2 by notching his 18th goal of the season.
Jeff Prough scored his second of the game and 24th of the year with 2:16 left in the third period to cut Reading's lead to one, but the Devils' comeback attempts were foiled when Chris Blight made the score 5-3 with an empty-net goal in the game's final minute. Andrew Sarauer scored his second of the game, a shorthanded empty-netter, with eight seconds left to finish the scoring.
The Devils and Royals will be back in action tomorrow night, when Trenton finishes its 2010-11 schedule with a 7:00 p.m. game at Sovereign Center.
ECHL Stories from April 1, 2011
- Bakersfield knocks of Utah 3-1 - Bakersfield Condors
- Stingrays Edge Everblades 5-4 - South Carolina Stingrays
- Royals Bag Another Comeback Win in Trenton, 6-3 - Reading Royals
- Glads Fall 4-1 in Home Finale - Atlanta Gladiators
- Wings Blank Cyclones in Regular Season Final, 5-0 - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Blades come-back cut short, fall 5-4 to South Carolina - Florida Everblades
- Kalamazoo Finishes Road Schedule with a 5-0 Victory - Kalamazoo Wings
- Four-Goal Third Lifts Reading Over Trenton, 6-3 - Trenton Devils
- Warriors win final road game of season - Greenville Swamp Rabbits
- Jackals Walloped By Walleye, 6-2 - Elmira Jackals
- Forward Antoine Roussel Assigned to Reading - Reading Royals
- Salmon Kings Add D-Man Adam Ross - Victoria Salmon Kings
- Tickets for 2011 Thunder Playoffs Presented by Golden Bear Insurance On Sale Monday - Stockton Thunder
- ECHL Transactions - April 1 - ECHL
- We Want to Show You Our Appreciation - Greenville Swamp Rabbits
- Jackals Game Preview: Elmira at Toledo - Elmira Jackals
- Cyclones Game Preview - Cincinnati Vs. Kalamazoo - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Coulombe Returned to Jackals - Elmira Jackals
- Swanson Wins ECHL Sportsmanship Award - Alaska Aces
- Alaska's Swanson Wins Sportsmanship Award - ECHL
- J.P. Lamoureux Returns from Abbotsford - Utah Grizzlies
- Salmon Kings Offering $5 Playoff Ticket - Victoria Salmon Kings
- Stingrays Sign Joe Cucci; Kroll Returns from AHL - South Carolina Stingrays
- Countdown to Face-Off - Kalamazoo Wings
- Dustin Sproat Earns ECHL's 2011 Community Service Award - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Game Preview: Stockton Thunder at Las Vegas Wranglers - Stockton Thunder
- Cincinnati's Sproat, Elmira's Frank Named Co-Recipients of Inaugural ECHL Community Service Award - ECHL
- Frank Named Co-Recipient of ECHL's Community Service Award - Elmira Jackals
- Greenville Road Warriors Game Preview - April 1 - Greenville Swamp Rabbits
- Nailers to Appear at Tim Horton's Friday - Wheeling Nailers
- Stingrays Gameday: Stingrays Look to Bounce Back Against Everblades Tonight - South Carolina Stingrays
- ECHL Today - April 1 - ECHL
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