ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Bounce Back to Beat Bombers, 4-2

Published on December 27, 2008 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Dayton, OH - The Reading Royals (9-21-2= 20; 7th North Division) of the ECHL got a pair of third period goals to pull away from the Dayton Bombers and win 4-2 at the E.J. Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. The win snapped a five game winless streak for the Royals (0-4-1). Brock Hooton, who had two goals in the game including his third short-handed goal of the year, scored his first game winner of the season 2:24 into the third. Michael Ouzas (win, 11-7-1; 36/38) was strong in net to pick up his first win as a Royal; while Tyler Plante (4-7-1; 22/26) sustained his second consecutive loss to the Royals

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Reading struck first 17:55 into the game on the team's second power play of the night. Brock Hooton controlled with speed through the neutral zone and dished to Tyler Doig charging down the left wing side. Doig fired a sharp angled shot from deep inside the Bombers' zone that Plante stopped with his upper body; however, the rebound fell to the top of the crease, where a crashing Peder Skinner punched it back for his fifth of the season.

The Bombers broke through with a power play goal of their own at the 4:35 mark of the second, while skating with a five-on-three advantage. Defenseman Dominic D'Amour took a hard shot from the high slot that Ouzas stopped and appeared to cover, but Mike McLean was able to dig it out from under Ouzas, freeing it up for Justin Bowers, who slipped it in for his tenth of the year. The Royals responded 43 seconds later on the backend of the five-on-three. Tim Branham stripped a Bomber and freed Hooton, who was off to the short-handed races, blowing by everyone and back-handing puck behind Plante for his eighth of the year-three of which have come while the Royals were playing short-handed (which is tied for the league lead in that category).

The Bombers tied the game at two with the first even strength goal of the game with only 1:27 remaining in the second period. After a sustained sequence of puck possession in the offensive end, Les Reaney was able to force the puck to the mid-slot, where Jarret Lukin stepped in and partially misfired on a one-timer; but got enough of it to flutter the puck into the upper left corner of the net for his thirteenth goal of the year.

Reading regained the lead 2:24 into the third, when a relentless fore-check by Tyler Doig and Dan Rudisuela created an offensive zone turnover. Doig took possession on the left half-wall and fed Rudisuela in the left corner. Rudisuela settled and fired a low, hard pass to the top of the crease, where Hooton was situated for a quick, tight shot that slid through Plante for Hooton's second of the night and ninth of the season. Reading extended the lead to 4-2 when Rob LaLonde scored the team's second power play goal of the night. David Nimmo won an offensive zone face-off to LaLonde who stepped down on the left wall and fired a shot that beat Plante high to the short side for this first goal of the year. The Royals held on for their first road win since beating the Bombers at the E.J. Nutter Center on December 10.

Reading returns home to the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania to take on the Johnstown Chiefs on Tuesday (December 30, 2008 @ 7:05 pm). Saturday's game will be broadcast live on the Royals Radio Network Presented by Transmissions by Arbogast (True Oldies WRAW 1340 am in Reading; and The Ticket WLAN 1390 am in Lancaster), as well as on the internet via webcast hosted by Sportsjuice.com, which can be accessed through the Royals website. To become a part of Royals hockey, call 610-898-PUCK or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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