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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals' 3-0-0 week clinches playoff berth

April 4, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading powered their way to three straight victories this week and again moved atop the North Division. With the Royals win on Sunday, they clinched their second straight playoff berth under head coach Derek Clancey. Clancey broke his own mark for wins in a single season with Reading set last year (37), which currently stands at 41. The Royals began the week on the road in Dayton and secured a 6-3 win with a four-goal outburst in the third period. Reading returned home for a pair of games on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. The Royals hot offense carried into Saturday as the silver, purple and black lit the lamp four times in the opening stanza en route to a 5-1 victory. A tight-checking Sunday afternoon contest against Peoria saw the Royals skate away victorious with a 2-1 decision.

Reading finishes their four-game homestand with battles against Peoria on Tuesday and Toledo on Thursday. Peoria's final visit to the Sovereign Center is Reading Area Community College Royals bean bag puck night to the first 1,200 fans through the gates. The final regular season home game on Thursday, April 7 is Fan Appreciation Night. The most popular Royal ever, tough guy Ryan Flinn will be signing autographs on the concourse, plus it is Ryan Flinn bobblehead night to the first 2,000 fans, 12-and-under. The first 3,000 adults receive a one-year subscription to the Sporting News. The puck drops on both nights at 7:05 p.m.

LAST WEEK

Friday, April 1 @ Dayton Nutter Center 7:00PM ET

GAME NOTES: The final meeting of the nine-game series took place in Dayton on Friday night. The much improved Bombers gave the Royals all they could handle for two periods. In the third, the Royals overcame a one-goal deficit to explode for four goals and a 6-3 win. Barry Brust recorded the victory for Reading on the road stopping 29 shots.

Saturday, April 2 vs. Atlantic City Sovereign Center 7:05PM ET

GAME NOTES: Reading tried to end a three-game winless streak against Atlantic City in the Sovereign Center. Another four-goal outburst, this time in the first period propelled the Royals to victory. Preston Mizzi and Cail MacLean each scored twice, while David Masse added the other Royals marker to give Reading the 5-1 win. Reading improved to 3-3-3 against the Bullies this season.

Sunday, April 3 vs. Peoria Sovereign Center 1:05PM ET

GAME NOTES: The Royals moved into first place and clinched a playoff spot with their tough 2-1 win over Peoria Sunday afternoon. Reading scored just 10-seconds into the game on a Cail MacLean goal and then added an Ian Turner goal with under a minute to play in the middle period to edge Peoria. Barry Brust stopped 32 shots to record his 26th victory of the season.

THIS WEEK

Tuesday, April 5 vs. Peoria Sovereign Center 7:05PM ET

GAME NOTES: The Royals and Rivermen meet for the final time this season and for the final time ever Tuesday in the Sovereign Center. Reading edged Peoria 2-1 on Sunday and are now 3-0-0 at home and 5-2-0 against the Rivermen this season.

Thursday, April 7 vs. Toledo Sovereign Center 7:05PM ET

GAME NOTES: Toledo and Reading meet for the final time in the regular season on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. It's Fan Appreciation Night in the Sovereign Center with various prizes given away randomly to those in attendance. Ryan Flinn will be in Reading signing autographs during the game and the first 2,000 fans, 12-and-under, receive a Ryan Flinn bobblehead. Plus, the first 3,000 adults receive a one-year subscription to the Sporting News.

Friday, April 8 @ Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall 7:05PM ET

GAME NOTES: Reading broke the jinx against Atlantic City with their 5-1 win on Saturday night. The Royals are 1-1-2 in Atlantic City and make their final visit ever to Boardwalk Hall. The Royals boast an all-time mark of 12-18-6 versus Atlantic City since both teams began play in the ECHL since 2001.

Saturday, April 9 @ Wheeling Sovereign Center 7:30PM ET

GAME NOTES: The roles are reversed from last season between Wheeling and Reading. Last year, the Royals were battling to get into the Kelly Cup Playoffs up to the final game of the regular season. This will be a pivotal game for Wheeling to clinch a playoff berth, while the Royals could be playing for the regular season title in the North Division.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Quick Stats Leading Scorers Leading Goaltenders Overall Record: 41-20-7 Graig Mischler 10-50-60 Barry Brust 1.99 GAA, 26-9-4

Home Record: 23-8-3 Eric Fortier 23-27-50 Cody Rudkowsky 2.25 GAA, 7-9-1

Road Record: 18-12-4 Cail MacLean 23-18-41

Overtime Record: 1-2 Jon Francisco 19-21-40

Shootout Record: 4-5

Penalty Kill: 253/302 83.8% (13) Plus/Minus Leaders

Power Play: 70/372 18.8% (5) Reagan Rome +17

Jeff Miles +16

Most goals: Eric Fortier & Cail MacLean (23) Adam Borzecki +16

Most assists: Graig Mischler (50) Jon Francisco +16

Most Points: Graig Mischler (54)

Most power play goals: Cail MacLean (15)

Most power play assists: Graig Mischler (25)

Most power play points: Graig Mischler (28)

Most shorthanded goals: Judd Medak (3)

Most Game winners: Mike Sandbeck, Jon Francisco & Graig Mischler (4)

Most Wins: Barry Brust (26)

Most PIMs: Reagan Rome (140)

ECHL GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE:

#33 BARRY BRUST 3GP RECORD: 3-0-0 GAA: 1.66 SPCT: .945% TEAM RECORD: 3-0-0

Red hot rookie goaltender Barry Brust recorded three more wins this week to lead his team to their second straight Kelly Cup Playoff berth. Brust stopped 29 shots on Friday night in Dayton in the Royals 6-3 win. Saturday and Sunday Brust allowed just one goal in each contest and made 57 total saves to earn his 25th and 26th wins of the season, new Royals records.

BARRY BRUST 6'2" 215LBS HOMETOWN: SWAN RIVER, MB DOB: 8-8-83

LAST YEAR: SPOKANE/ CALGARY (WHL) AMATEUR CLUB: SPOKANE/ CALGARY (WHL)

DRAFT STATUS: 2002 – MINNESOTA – 3RD ROUND, 73rd

ECHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE:

#15 GRAIG MISCHLER 3GP TEAM RECORD: 3-0-0 STATS: (1-5=6) +3

Graig Mischler tallied back-to-back three point games to lift his multiple-point game total to 15, which leads the Royals. Mischler chalked up a goal and two assists in Reading's 6-3 win at Dayton on Friday...The Holbrook, New York native assisted on three first period goals in the Royals 5-1 win the next night over Atlantic City.

GRAIG MISCHLER 6'3" 215LBS HOMETOWN: HOLBROOK, NY DOB: 9-15-78

LAST YEAR: READING (ECHL AMATEUR CLUB: NORTHEASTERN (HE)

DRAFT STATUS: 1998 – VANCOUVER – 8TH ROUND (204TH)

IN THE COMMUNITY: Royals Weekly live from the Classic Café, off Route 183 in Bern Township, tonight. Forwards #23 Pat O'Leary and #25 Mike Sandbeck will be our special guests. 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.

TEAM STREAKS:

· Reading's 70 power play goals for leads the ECHL

· The Royals rank #1 in GA (2.28) and T7th in GF (3.15) and 2nd in SA (27.90) and 12th in SF (32.12)

· Reading leads the league in shorthanded goals (15)

· The Royals rank #1 in goals against (155) and are second in shots against (1,897) this season

· 18 different (12 on the active roster) have scored game winners this season

INDIVIDUAL STREAKS:

· #10 David Masse has scored in seven straight games (4-7=11) and assisted in six-straight games (7a) including two game-winning goals (3/22/05 – present)

· #12 Cail MacLean has a three game goal streak (4g)...and scored in nine of last eleven games (7-6=13) with six goals coming on the power play dating back to 3/15/05

· #20 Preston Mizzi is riding a three-game point streak (3-2=5) dating back to 4/1/05

· #29 Eric Fortier scored goals in three straight games for the third time this season (3g) (3/25/05 – 4/2/05)

· #33 Goaltender Barry Brust is unbeaten in 14 straight homes games (1/7/05 – present)...12-0-2 with a 1.16 GAA, .958 save percentage...(2/12/05 – 3/26/05) - Was unbeaten for a season-high 12 straight games...10-0-2 with a 1.31 GAA, .950 save percentage...Brust is riding a three-game win streak (4/1/05 – present)

TRANSACTIONS:

3/28/2005 Add TREVOR READ (D) activated from suspension

3/28/2005 Delete TREVOR READ (D) waived

3/28/2005 Add ADAM BORZECKI (D) returned from Hershey (AHL)

3/31/2005 Add BRAD THOMPSON (C) signed contract

4/1/2005 Add TOM HARRISON (F) activated off 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 and B2 Networks. Join the voice of the Royals, John Curtis for all the play-by-play action. The Classic Café pregame show comes your way approximately 30 minutes before the drop of the puck on the Royals Radio Network presented by Casa Grande Ristorante.

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ECHL Stories from April 4, 2005


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