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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Bag First OT Win in Greenville, 3-2

December 22, 2011 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Greenville, SC - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (11-12-3-227, 3rd Atlantic Division), affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, defeated the Greenville Road Warriors (15-8-1-132, 3rd South Division), 3-2, in overtime at Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, South Carolina. The Royals scored first, but fell behind 2-1 thanks to a pair of first period goals by the Road Warriors. Reading re-tied the game at two in the second, and after getting blanked on the team's first seven chances with the man advantage, finally broke through on PP number eight in overtime to stretch the team's win streak to three for the first time this year.

Goaltender Mark Owuya (win, 4-1-2-0, 37/39) was poised, well-positioned, and particularly good when the Road Warriors were playing with the man advantage, which included three separate sequences of five-on-three. Nic Riopel (otl, 11-3-1-0, 21/24) sustained his second loss of the year to Reading. The Royals' power play was held off the board until they got a chance in OT after a goaltender interference penalty was assessed against Greenville (1-8) fifty-nine seconds into the extra session. The Royals' PK was perfect for the twelfth time this year, killing all seven PP chances for the Road Warriors, which included three five-on-three sequences-one which lasted for 1:44 to start the third period.

Reading struck first 10:17 into the game while the two teams were playing four aside. Ryan Cruthers took control behind the net and fed to Olivier Labelle, who had gained position at the top of the crease. As Labelle was being knocked to the ice, he was able to chip it up and over the catching hand of Riopel for his thirteenth of the year.

Greenville answered twenty-one seconds later, when Brandon Wong gained possession wide open and all alone low in the right circle. Wong cut towards the middle of the ice and didn't waste the point blank choice on Owuya for his fifth of the year.

The Road Warriors took a 2-1 lead with 19.01 seconds left in the first period. Justin Bowers fed Wes Cunningham for a one-timer from the left point. Cunningham didn't get it all and the puck fluttered off his stick towards the net. The puck appeared to hit the body of a Reading defender and fell to the top of the crease out of Owuya's reach. Wong won the battle for the puck and forced it through Owuya for his second of the game and sixth of the season.

Reading tied the game 8:17 into the second, when Matt Schepke carried below the goal line on the right side, drew the attention of the Greenville defenders and then slipped a perfect pass to Everett Sheen who found a seam in front of the Road Warrior net. Sheen beat Riopel to the blocker side for his third of the year.

After a scoreless third-which started with 1:44 of five-on-three for Greenville and included two power play chances for the Royals-Reading broke through on the four-on-three power play chance 1:45 into overtime. Denny Urban fired from the high slot, Riopel kicked the puck out with the left pad, but directly to the stick of Labelle who controlled and fired for the first overtime win of the season for Reading, running the team's road record to 8-4-2-1.

Reading and Greenville go at for the fourth time this year tomorrow (Friday, December 23, 2011 @ 7:35 pm) at Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, South Carolina. The game night broadcast on Saturday will start at 7:05 pm with the Red Robin Gourmet Burger Pre-Game Warm-up Show on ESPN Radio 1240 am in Reading. Streaming audio is available free of charge courtesy of America One through the Royals' website, www.royalshockey.com. As with all Royals' road games, next Thursday's contest in Greenville will be televised locally in Berks County on BCTV courtesy of Boscov's Travel and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

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