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ECHL Reading Royals

Reading Needs Big Week to Keep Playoff Chances Alive

March 3, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


The Reading Royals started the week positively winning their fourth straight at home against Atlantic City Tuesday 5-2. The Royals ended the week dropping their next three contests. Friday in the Sovereign Center the Roanoke Express downed Reading 7-4. Saturday, the Royals traveled to Richmond to battle the Renegades for the final time this season. Richmond exploded for four goals in the third to break open a tie game winning 6-3. Reading finished the week back at home on Sunday afternoon with their eighth meeting of the season against the Trenton Titans. Trenton beat Reading for the sixth time this season , 5-3.

The Royals enter this week eight points out of a potential Kelly Cup playoff berth. The Royals and Titans will meet for the second time in three days on Wednesday. The game was previously scheduled for February 16, but was postponed due to weather conditions. The first 2,000 fans through the gate receive the third series of Royals hockey trading cards provided by Rieck's Printing. Friday night in the Sovereign Center pits the Royals against the Wheeling Nailers for the final time this season. Reading finishes off the week at home on Saturday night against the Johnstown Chiefs. The Keystone Cup will be presented to the Reading Royals for winning the season series with the Chiefs.

THIS WEEK (All times Eastern)

Wednesday, March 5 vs. Trenton Sovereign Center 7:05PM

GAME NOTES: This game marks the second in three days between the Titans and Royals. Reading is 2-6-0 against the Titans this season. This is a must win game for Reading to keep their playoff chances alive. The Titans have won the last three meetings in this ten game season series. The final meeting between the Titans and Royals will be March 21 in the Sovereign Center.

Friday, March 7 vs. Wheeling Sovereign Center 7:05PM

GAME NOTES: Reading and Wheeling meet for the sixth and final time this season. Reading has dominated this series winning the first five meetings. Royals leading scorer Brian McCullough has nine goals and fourteen points in the series, including two game winners. McCullough scored the first hat trick in Royals history on October 11, 2002 in the Sovereign Center in a 7-3 win.

Saturday, March 8 vs. Johnstown Sovereign Center 7:05PM

GAME NOTES: The Royals and Chiefs finish off their five game regular season series in Reading. The Royals are 3-1-0 in the series and clinched the Keystone Cup – battle of Pennsylvania on Valentines Day in the Sovereign Center 3-2. Reading is 2-1-0 in the old War Memorial in Johnstown and 1-0-0 at home.

LAST WEEK

Tuesday, February 25 vs. Atlantic City Sovereign Center 7:05PM

GAME NOTES: Reading beat Atlantic City 5-2 in the Sovereign Center. The win marked the first win by the home team in seven tries. The Royals have won the past two meetings and have posted a 4-3-0 mark against the Bullies. Reading picked up two goals from Steve Rymsha and Geoff Peters (SH, GW) to pace them to victory. The Royals will host the Bullies on March 22 for the final game in Reading during the regular season. The two teams will meet again in AC on March 30.

Friday, February 28 vs. Roanoke Sovereign Center 7:05PM

GAME NOTES: Roanoke's Rick Kowalsky scored two goals and four points to lift the Express past the Royals 7-4. Roanoke beat Reading for the fourth straight time in the Sovereign Center this season. Overall, the Royals are 1-4-1 against the Express this season. The two teams will meet two more times this season in Roanoke on March 15 and March 29.

Saturday, March 1 @ Richmond Richmond Coliseum 7:35PM

GAME NOTES: The Richmond Renegades broke open a two to two tie in the third period en route to a 6-3 win. The Royals finished off the season series against the Renegades at 4-3-1. Nick Lent and Brad Church each added two tallies in the win for Richmond.

Sunday, March 2 vs. Trenton Sovereign Center 2:05PM

GAME NOTES: The Royals and Titans met for the eighth time of a scheduled ten meetings this season. Reading found themselves tied 2-2 after 40-minutes for the second straight game. Trenton outscored Reading 3-1 in the third period to pick up the 5-3 win. Titan leading scorer Adam Edinger scored the game winner.

ECHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE:
STEVE RYMSHA 4GP TEAM RECORD: 1-3-0 PTS: 5G 3A – 8PTS - Tied for the team lead in goals (34)

Steve Rymsha contined his torrid scoring pace. Rymsha recorded two tallies in a win versus Atlantic City on Tuesday. Friday against Roanoke Rymsha chipped in an assist...Saturday he scored two more goals and added an assist in a loss in Richmond. Sunday "Rimmer" scored his fifth goal of the week against Trenton in a 5-3 defeat.
STEVE RYMSHA 6'4" 225LBS HOMETOWN: ST CATHERINES, ON DOB: 3-20-79
LAST YEAR: GREENVILLE (ECHL) AMATEUR CLUB: WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIV. (CCHA)

ECHL GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE:
JEFF SANGER 2GP RECORD: 1-2-0 GAA: 4.47 SPCT: .852% TEAM RECORD: 1-3-0

Jeff Sanger recorded his 18th win of the season on Tuesday against the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies. During this stretch the Royals rookie netminder set a record with 14 straight starts.
JEFF SANGER 5'10" 170LBS HOMETOWN: MADISON, WI DOB: 11-14-78
LAST YEAR: COLORADO COLLEGE AMATEUR CLUB: COLORADO COLLEGE DRAFT STATUS: NA

PLAYER APPEARANCES:

3/3 MONDAY 3:30-6 p.m., Cut-A-Thon, Cinergi, $35 for adults and $25 for children ages 12 and under, Raffle items include an team autographed third jersey, Rusk and Graham Webb skin care and hair products basket valued at $150, TIGI skin care and hair products basket valued at $150 and a Cinergi gift certificate for a spa day valued at $200 (Raffle tickets available at Cinergi. Do not have to be present to win.) All proceeds to benefit Royals Charities, The Royals will be on hand to assist the stylists with your part!

3/3 MONDAY 5-7 p.m., Spring Valley Center, Royals Autograph Session and Appearance

Make reservations today for the following special events: 3/11 TUESDAY 11:45 a.m.- 2 p.m., Final Power Play Luncheon of the season, with the coaching staff and selected Royals, By reservation only 610-898-7317

3/25 TUESDAY Doors open at 6 p.m., 2003 Fan's Choice Awards Banquet presented by Reading Eagle, Sovereign Center, Recognize your favorite players, Enjoy great food and entertainment, Silent auction table with proceeds benefiting Royals Charities, By reservation by 3/14 only 610-898-7213, $30 per person

Click to the Royals Charities page to check out other special fundraising events.

IN THE COMMUNITY: The Royals face off at Casa Grande tonight with Royals Weekly. Royals Weekly can be heard live on ESPN Radio, 1240AM and new affiliate WPAZ, 1370AM from Casa Grande from 6-7 p.m. #39 Jeff Sanger will be our special guest along with LA Kings forward Ryan Flinn. Head coach David Lohrei will join us as well. Your calls are welcome at 866-379-1240.

TRANSACTIONS:

2/23/03 Delete MATT HERHAL (D) released Delete RAY DILAURO (D) loaned to Manchester (AHL)
Delete MAT SNESRUD (D) recalled to Manchester (AHL)
2/24/03 Add MAT SNESRUD (D) assigned from Manchester (AHL) Add RAY DILAURO (D) returned from Manchester (AHL)
2/26/03 Delete MAT SNESRUD (D) recalled to Manchester (AHL)
2/27/03 Add AGRIS SAVIELS (D) assigned from Hershey (AHL)
3/01/03 Delete BRIAN MCCULLOUGH (C) recalled to Manchester (AHL)

TICKETS AND INFORMATION: The Reading Royals Box Office is open from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Sovereign Center. Individual tickets can be purchased at the Sovereign Center Box Office or at any TicketMaster location. To order tickets by phone, call 215-336-2000. To book a group to a Royals game call 610-898-7825.

ROYALS ON THE AIRWAVES: All Reading Royals games, home and away, are broadcast on ESPN Radio, 1240AM and affiliate 1370AM. Join the Voice of the Royals, John Curtis for all the play-by-play action. The Buy-Rite Liquidators pre-game show comes your way 25 minutes before the drop of the puck.

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics

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