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ECHL Reading Royals

Reading wins one of three on road

January 31, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


The Reading Royals past the midway point of the season on the road this week. Reading traveled to the Sports Arena in Toledo on Friday night for their fourth meeting with the Storm. For the fourth time this season, the Royals were shutout. Scott Fankhouser stopped 22 shots to post the 1-0 win for Toledo. Reading traveled to Wheeling on Saturday and dropped a 3-2 decision. The Nailers scored the game-winning goal with just 34 seconds remaining in the contest. The Royals lone win took place on Sunday afternoon in Dayton. Reading scored three goals in the second period and held on to win 4-2 over the Bombers.

The Royals travel back to Dayton this Friday to battle the Bombers in the Nutter Center. The game marks the third meeting in Dayton between the two clubs with one more meeting remaining. Saturday, the Royals return to the friendly confines of the Sovereign Center to host the Toledo Storm. The first 1,500 adults 21-and-over receive a Yuengling megaphone. Reading finishes the week on Superbowl Sunday with a matinee game at 1:00 p.m. against the Trenton Titans in Trenton, New Jersey.

LAST WEEK

Tuesday, January 25 ECHL All-Star Skills Competition Sovereign Center 7:05PM ET

GAME NOTES: In a very close competition the National Conference edged the American Conference 10-9 in the ECHL Skills Competition. Columbia's Mike Minard won the top goaltender award,

Wednesday, January 26 ECHL All-Star Game Sovereign Center 7:05PM ET

GAME NOTES: After falling down 2-0, the National Conference scored six goals over the final two periods to defeat the American Conference, 6-2. Eight goals combined by the two clubs set an ECHL low in an All-Star game in league history. National Conference goaltender, Frank Doyle from Idaho won the MVP award after stopping 20 of 21 shots in the second period.

Friday, January 28 @ Toledo Sports Arena 7:30PM ET

GAME NOTES: For the fourth time this season, the Royals were held scoreless. The Toledo Storm held Reading to a season-low 22 shots and defeated the Royals 1-0. Todd Jackson scored the game winner in the third period while Scott Fankhouser recorded his third shutout of the season for Toledo.

Saturday, January 29 @ Wheeling Wes Banco Arena 8:00PM ET

GAME NOTES: After taking a slim 1-0 lead after 40 minutes the Royals surrendered a season-high three goals in third period to drop a 3-2 regulation loss to Wheeling. Eric Fortier and Mike Sandbeck accounted for the Royals goals. Reading is now 4-3-0 against Wheeling this season.

Sunday, January 30 @ Dayton Nutter Center 2:00PM ET

GAME NOTES: Reading beat the Dayton Bombers for the third straight time this season behind a three-goal outburst in the second period. The 4-2 victory was keyed by two tallies from Eric Fortier and a three-point output by Jon Francisco (1g, 2a). Matt Yeats picked up his sixth victory in eight tries stopping 29 shots.

THIS WEEK

Friday, February 4 @ Dayton Nutter Center 7:00PM ET

GAME NOTES: This is the fourth meeting of nine scheduled this season between the Royals and Bombers. The Royals have outscored the Bombers 14-3 in their three victories this season. Reading and Dayton will meet just one more time in the Nutter Center in Dayton following this contest and four more times in the Sovereign Center.

Saturday, February 5 vs. Toledo Sovereign Center 7:05PM ET

GAME NOTES:Toledo and Reading meet for the fifth time this season and just the second time in the Sovereign Center in Reading. The two clubs will meet a total of nine times in the regular campaign. Toledo captured its first regulation win over Reading a week ago with a 1-0 shutout win. The Royals are 2-1-1 against the Storm this season.

Sunday, February 6 @ Trenton Sovereign Bank Arena 1:00PM ET

GAME NOTES: Reading has won the last two meetings with Trenton to improve their overall mark to 2-3-0. This is the sixth meeting of ten between North Division rivals. They will meet in just nine more days on February 15th in the Sovereign Center. This is the rescheduled game from January 22nd which was postponed due to weather conditions.

ECHL GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE:

#1 MATT YEATS 1GP RECORD: 1-0-0 GAA: 2.00 SPCT: .935% TEAM RECORD: 1-2-0

Matt Yeats recorded his sixth victory of the season in his only appearance this week. Yeats stopped 29 shots in the Royals 4-2 win in Dayton on Sunday afternoon.

MATT YEATS 6'0" 185LBS HOMETOWN: INNISFAIL, AB DOB: 4-6-79

LAST YEAR: PORTLAND (AHL)/ WASINGTON (NHL) AMATEUR CLUB: MAINE (NCAA)

DRAFT STATUS: NA

ECHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE:

#29 ERIC FORTIER 3GP TEAM RECORD: 1-2-0 STATS: 3-0=3 even

Fortier tallied markers in two of three contests this week. After going scoreless Friday in Toledo, Fortier recorded his 8th goal of the season in the Royals 3-2 loss at Wheeling Saturday evening. The Princeville, Quebec native recorded two of the four goals in the Royals 4-2 win Dayton on Sunday.

ERIC FORTIER 6'3" 195LBS HOMETOWN: PRINCEVILLE, PQ DOB: 4-1-81

LAST YEAR: GREENSBORO (ECHL) AMATEUR CLUB: VAL D'ORS FOREURS (QMJHL)

DRAFT STATUS: NA

IN THE COMMUNITY: Royals Weekly live from the Classic Café, off Route 183 in Bern Township, tonight. Defenseman #7 Reagan Rome and centerman #20 Preston Mizzi will be our special guests. The special guest this week is forward Dave Brown, who will join us via the phone line, and Royals coach Derek Clancey will join us as well. Royals Weekly airs live on ESPN radio, 1240AM and via the Royals website at www.royalshockey.com every Monday at 6:00 p.m. during the season. The taping of Royals Roundtable follows at 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

TEAM STREAKS:

· Reading ranks first in the ECHL with 11 shorthanded goals, seven of those coming on the road

· The Royals rank #2 in GA (2.32) and 6th in GF (3.18) and 3rd in SA (28.45) and 6th in SF (33.42)

· The Royals have won a season-high five straight games at home and are unbeaten in their last six (1/7/05 – present)

· Reading is the only team that hasn't had a contest decided in overtime (0-0)

· Reading ranks 1st in the ECHL in goal differential in the second period –(44-27) +17

· The Royals broke a four-game winless streak on the road Sunday, second longest of the season (1/9/05-1/29/05)

· Reading lost for the first time in regulation on Saturday in Wheeling when leading after two periods (15-1-1)

· Reading scored their fastest goal at the start of a period on the road (1/30 @ DAY – 10-seconds into the second period Eric Fortier) in the Royals 4-2 win...In addition, Reading allowed their fastest goal on the road in the same game on the road (Janne Jokila, 32-seconds into the third period)

TRANSACTIONS:

1/23/2005 Delete MIKKO VIITANEN (D) recalled by Hershey (AHL)

1/25/2005 Add MIKKO VIITANEN (D) assigned by Hershey (AHL)

1/29/2005 Delete JIM DUBE (D) released

1/29/2005 Delete GRAIG MISCHLER (C ) placed on 7-day IR

TICKETS AND INFORMATION: The Sovereign Center 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. The Sovereign Center Box Office is located on the corner of 7th and Penn Streets in downtown Reading. 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. If you would like to save money and bring a group of 20 or more to a game call the Royals hockey headquarters at 610-898-7825 and ask for a ticket representative.

ROYALS ON THE AIRWAVES: All Reading Royals games, home and away, are broadcast on ESPN Radio, 1240AM and on the Royals website at www.royalshockey.com via Sportsjuice. Join the voice of the Royals, John Curtis for all the play-by-play action. The Classic Café pregame show comes your way approximately 25 minutes before the drop of the puck on the Royals Radio Network presented by Casa Grande Ristorante.

ROYALS ITINERARY: All times subject to change

Monday OFF

Tuesday 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. practice at Body Zone

Wednesday 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. practice at Body Zone; travel to Dayton

Thursday Practice in Dayton TBA

Friday 11:00 – 11:30 a.m. morning skate; Royals @ Dayton 7:00 p.m.

Saturday Royals vs. Toledo 7:05 p.m.

Sunday Royals @ Trenton 1:00 p.m.

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics

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