ECHL Reading Royals

Royals bounce back for win over Inferno, 3-2

November 23, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (9-6-1=19, 3rd North Division) of the ECHL extended the team's home unbeaten streak to five games (4-0-1) with a 3-2 win over the Columbia Inferno at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals got a couple of bounce back goals-the first after the Inferno had taken a 1-0 lead early in the second period and the second after Columbia had tied the game at two early in the third-and several big stops from goaltender Jeff Pietrasiak (2-1-0; 29/31) to take the one-goal decision. The Royals, who are now playing to a +15 on the season in even strength circumstances, scored all three goals while the two teams were playing at full strength, while both of Columbia's goals were scored on the power play (2-6).

After a scoreless first period, Columbia struck first with a power play goal at the 4:53 mark of the second when Jeff Miles threw a hard wrister from the right point that slipped through everyone, including Pietrasiak for Miles' eleventh goal of the season. Reading bounced back (for the first time) 1:28 later when Bracken Kearns scored his first goal of the season. Jeff Likens carried into the offensive zone on the left wing side and dished a saucer to the mid-slot where Kearns, who was charging hard towards the net, ripped a one-timer behind goaltender Jeff Jakaitis (2-5-1; 29/32). The Royals took their first lead of the game at the 11:17 mark of the second when Chris Blight threw a seemingly harmless wrister from just inside the blue line at the left point that found paydirt in the upper right corner of the net for his ninth goal of the year.

In the third, the Inferno tied the game with their second power play goal of the night. Again Miles started it from the right point, when he threw a low hard wrist shot to the left side of the crease where Daniel Sparre was planted for the tap-in redirect. For Sparre, that proved to be his tenth goal of the season. Once again, Reading bounced back to re-take the lead forty-nine seconds later when Joe Zappala carried into the offensive zone on the left side and found Blight breaking hard to the net on the right wing side. Blight drilled the one-timer behind Jakaitis for his tenth goal of the season-and his third multi-goal game of the year. The teams traded chances down the stretch, which included a couple of additional power play opportunities for the Inferno, but the Royals were able to hold off Columbia for the win in the first game ever played at the Sovereign Center between these two teams.

The Royals are back in action tomorrow night when they take on the Elmira Jackals in the first game in team history at First Arena in Elmira, New York (7:35 pm). The game night broadcast will begin at 7:05 pm with the pre-game warm-up show on ESPN Radio 1240 am in Ephrata, as well as on the internet through the Royals' website, www.royalshockey.com. Streaming video is available on a pay per view basis through the B2 Networks.

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics



ECHL Stories from November 23, 2007


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