ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Defeat Cyclones, 3-1

February 25, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Cincinnati, OH - The Reading Royals (18-33-4= 40; 7th North Division) of the ECHL scored a pair of power play goals in an extended early opportunity with the man advantage and held off the comeback specialist Cincinnati Cyclones for a 3-1 win at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. Reading was the beneficiary of seven minutes worth of power play before five minutes ticked off the clock and made the Cyclones pay for that gift by scoring two goals, including the game winner by Mac Faulkner, in the sequence. Goaltender James Reimer (win, 9-6-2-1; 27/28) withstood the Cyclones' attack-particularly in the third period-to pick up the win; while Cincinnati's Ryan Nie (loss; 18-10-1-1; 21/24) sustained his first loss in eight starts at U.S. Bank Arena for the Cyclones. Reading was credited as going two for three with the man advantage. Cincinnati was unable to break through in four third period power play chances, which included 0:43 of five-on-three (0-4).

Reading got an early gift when Justin Johnson was assessed with an instigating minor and fighting major (and aggressor game misconduct) 4:43 into the game, after he initiated and undertook a one-man fight. Reading capitalized on the golden chance 7:20 into the game when Tyler Doig, who assisted on all three Reading goals, fed Dan Rudisuela at the top of the crease. Rudisuela got a couple of whacks at the loose puck and ultimately chipped it over Nie for his thirteenth of the season. 1:15 later the Royals took a 2-0 lead when Doig sprang Ruidisuela into the offensive end. Rudisuela slipped a beautiful diagonal pass from high on the right side of the slot to Mac Faulkner at the left side of the net. Faulker redirected the puck behind Nie for his sixteenth of the year.

The Cyclones got on the board 15:36 into the first when Ben Gordon tracked down a loose puck low in the right circle and fed it back up the gut to a hard charging Matt Syroczynski, who split a pair of Reading defenders and ripped a snap shot high glove side on Reimer for his fourteenth of the year. Late in the second, the Royals added a bit of insurance, when Bobby Davey beat everyone to a loose puck in the Cincinnati zone and fed Doig in the left corner. Doig out-battled a couple of Cyclone defenders and took the puck behind the Cincinnati net, where he fed David Nimmo out in front. Nimmo slipped a quick shot under Nie to make it 3-1 Reading.

In the third, the Cyclones pressed, particularly during their four power play chances during the period. But the Royals and Reimer held fast for the remainder of regulation to beat the Cyclones for the third time this season (3-2-1).

The Royals face the Cincinnati Cyclones again tomorrow night (Wednesday, February 24 @ 7:30 pm) at U.S. Bank Arena. Wednesday'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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ECHL Stories from February 25, 2009


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