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ECHL Reading Royals

Northern Division Finals Set, #3 Peoria Rivermen vs. #4 Reading Royals

April 15, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


READING, PA – The Reading Royals, ECHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, in cooperation with the Peoria Rivermen and the ECHL have announced dates for their Northern Division Finals series. Reading will battle the #3 seed Peoria Rivermen, who advanced to the Division Finals by beating the defending Kelly Cup Champion, #2-seeded Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies, three games to one. Reading knocked off top-seeded Wheeling in five games to continue their Kelly Cup Playoff run. Prior to facing Wheeling, Reading eliminated the Johnstown Chiefs in the ECHL's only Kelly Cup Wild Card Game on April 5th in Johnstown, 2-1. The Northern Division Final dates are as follows:

Game1: Saturday, April 17 @ Peoria Carver Arena 8:00 p.m. ET Game2: Monday, April 19 @ Peoria Carver Arena 8:00 p.m. ET Game3: Wednesday, April 21 @ Reading Sovereign Center 7:05 p.m. ET Game4: Thursday, April 22 @ Reading Sovereign Center 7:05 p.m. ET (if necessary) Game5: Saturday, April 24 @ Peoria Carver Arena 8:00 p.m. ET (if necessary)

Reading and Peoria squared off six times in the ECHL's regular season. Reading posted a mark of 2-2-0 in Peoria and 3-2-1 overall. Three of the six battles in this series have gone to overtime or shootouts. Reading knocked off Peoria on back-to-back nights in early November 2-1 (OT) and 5-0. Leon Hayward scored the overtime game winner for Reading on November 7, while Cody Rudkowsky stopped a season high 44 shots to post the Royals lone shut out on the road this season. Both contests took place in Carver Arena in Peoria.

The two clubs met again in back-to-back affairs in Peoria on February 27 & 28. The Rivermen avenged their earlier home losses with a 2-0 shut out win and 5-3 victory. Mike Valley stopped 28 Royals shots in the 2-0 blanking on February 27, while Randy Rowe paced the Rivermen with two goals, including the game winner, the next night in the Peoria's 5-3 win.

Reading and Peoria met just twice in Reading on December 21, 2003 and March 16, 2004. Both games were decided by shootouts with each team skating away with a win. Peoria won on December 21, 2-1. The Rivermen converted four of five shooters in the shootout to secure the win. Reading skated to a 4-3 win on March 16 scoring on two of three shooters, while holding the Rivermen zero for four in the shootout.

The Royals are 15-20-4 all-time in the regular season versus Peoria. Reading and Peoria have met in the post-season, while the Royals were located in Columbus, Ohio. Peoria has posted a 3-0 mark against Reading in ECHL playoff action.

All Northern Division Finals action between the Reading Royals and Peoria Rivermen will be aired live on ESPN radio, 1240AM and via the Royals website at www.royalshockey.com courtesy of Sportsjuice. The Kelly Cup playoff action begins 30-minutes prior to face off with the Performance Toyota pre-game show.

Tickets are now on sale for the Royals Northern Division Finals series vs. the Peoria Rivermen at the Sovereign Center Box Office, M-F, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., any Boscov's Ticketmaster location, call Ticketmaster at 215-336-2000 or 717-260-2000 or by visiting www.Ticketmaster.com online. If you would like to book a group to a Royals home playoff game or you are a season ticketholder that wants to renew your seats for the playoffs, call the Royals hockey headquarters at 610-898-7825.

The Reading Royals are now accepting season ticket deposits for the upcoming 2004-05 season. A $25 per seat deposit puts you on an exclusive priority list to select your seats for the Royals fourth season, which includes the 13th Annual ECHL All-Star Game. Call 610-898-7825 to become a Reading Royals season ticketholder for the 2004-05 ECHL season.

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