ECHL Reading Royals

Jackals Smack Royals 7-1

Published on December 29, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (18-11-1-2=39, 1st East 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, 7-1, in the battle between the two top teams in the East Division at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. After the Royals tied the game at one early in the second period, the Jackals rang off six consecutive goals to beat the Royals for the second consecutive time. These two teams meet up again for the fifth time in the last seven games on Saturday night in Elmira. Goaltender Matt Dalton (Loss, 9-6-0-1; 30/37) was left to his own defenses far too often by a number of defensive breakdowns by the Royals in this one. Elmira's goaltender Chris Holt (OTL, 7-4-1-0; 34/35) beat Reading for the second consecutive game. Neither team was able to capitalize on the power play, as the Royals were blanked in three chances with the man advantage; while Elmira went 0-5 on the power play.

Elmira struck at the 14:31 mark of the first when Olivier Proulx won an offensive zone face-off to Mat Robinson at the right point. Robinson fired a high wrist shot that made it through a maze of bodies and hit the perfect spot on the net-high to the stick side-for his fourth of the year. Reading tied the game 2:54 into the second period, when Marc Cavosie weaved his way deep into the offensive zone and fed to Ryan Cruthers, who was charging towards the right side of the goal. Cruthers shot hit the right pipe and rebounded to the low slot where Nick St. Pierre settled and fired for his fourth of the year. From that point forward, it was all Elmira, as they rang off six straight, starting just 48 seconds later when Yannick Tifu deflected a Guillaume Lepine shot from the point to the upper left corner of the net for his seventh of the season.

Keegan Dansereau made it 3-1 Elmira when he was left wide open and all alone in front of the Royals' gone and buried one bar-and-in for his fifth of the season at the 7:06 mark of the second. Tyler Donati stretched the lead to three (4-1) when he stole in the neutral zone, walked into the offensive end and ripped one top shelf glove side on Dalton for his tenth of the year at the 10:47 mark of the second. Brendan Connolly topped off the second period scoring when he finished a two-on-one break with Mike Sgroi for his third of the year. In the third, the Jackals tacked on two more-a one-timer out of the left circle by Tifu at the 12:23 mark of the third and a rebound put-back by Tyler Donati with 1:54 remaining-but the damage had already been done by that time as the Royals dropped to 8-4-0-1 at the Sovereign Center this season.

The Royals are back in action tomorrow night (Wednesday, December 30, 2009 @ 7:05pm) when the Wheeling Nailers visit the Sovereign Center for the first time this year. Reading will ‘turn back the clock' and wear throw-back ‘Boston Bruins-themed' jerseys circa 1971. The Royals game night broadcast on the Royals Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast will kick off with the pre-game warm-up show at 6:35 pm.

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ECHL Stories from December 29, 2009


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