ECHL Reading Royals

Jackals Knock out Royals in Round Two, 4-1

March 3, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (27-25-3-461, 3rd Atlantic Division), affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, were defeated by the Elmira Jackals (35-21-2-274, 1st Atlantic Division), 4-1, at Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. For the first time in eleven games, the opponent-Elmira in this case-scored first-which was also the first of what would prove to be three by forward Mike Radja-and ultimately pulled away to drop the Royals record at home to 8-15-1-3.

Mark Owuya (loss, 8-2-2-1, 32/36) sustained his first regulation loss for the Royals since December 11, snapping a personal seven game unbeaten streak. Elmira's Brian Stewart (win, 20-10-1-0, 27/28) ran his record to 6-1-1-0 against the Royals this season, as he picked up his twentieth win of the year. The Royals were unable to capitalize on three chances with the man advantage (0-3)-the last two of which came late in the game. Elmira got a couple of power play goals (2-4), which included the game winner; but the Jackals power play also gave up the Royals only goal of the game-the ninth short-handed goal of the year for Reading.

Elmira struck early, when Artem Demkov pulled off a perfect spin-o-rama pass from deep on the right circle, sending the puck to the low slot area, where Mike Radja came barreling down the middle for a clean re-direct up and over Owuya for his eighteenth of the year 1:21 into the game.

Reading's penalty killers capitalized on the Jackals' first power play opportunity of the game 13:45 into the first. Louis Liotti and Casey Haines worked to get the puck into the neutral zone, where Matt Caruana picked it up on the rush and blitzed into the Jackals' zone. As he got to the low slot in Elmira's end, Caruna was caught and hauled from behind, but he was still able to slide the puck between the legs of Stewart for his sixth of the year.

The Jackals got what proved to be the game winner 15:25 into the game-on their second chance with the man advantage, when a Reading penalty killer gained possession on the left wall, but threw a blind back-hand pass to the middle of the ice, where Radja stepped in, took possession, and waltzed to the top of the crease, where he chipped a back-hand up an over a prone Owuya for his second of the night.

Elmira added a power play goal 9:48 into the second, when Dustin Gazely charged into the offensive end, got off a shot from deep on the right side, and followed it to the top of the crease where he gained possession of the rebound and drilled it by Owuya for his twenty-first of the year. Radja then completed the hattrick 11:28 into the third, with a bullet from the mid-slot that beat Owuya over the right shoulder; but those two were more than would be needed on this night, as the Royals were unable to solve the stingy Elmira defense and muster the quality or quantity of scoring opportunities that would have been needed to mount a credible come-back.

The Royals and Jackals go at it again tomorrow (Sunday, March 4, 2012 @ 4:05 pm) when the two teams face off at First Arena in Elmira, New York. Sunday's game night broadcast will start at 3:35 pm with the Red Robin Gourmet Burger Pre-Game Warm-up Show on ESPN Radio 1240 am in Reading. Streaming audio is available free of charge courtesy of America One through the Royals' website, www.royalshockey.com. As with all Royals' road games this season, Sunday's game will be televised locally in Berks County on BCTV courtesy of Boscov's Travel and the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

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ECHL Stories from March 3, 2012


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