Royals Defense Stops High Flying Gwinnett, 3-1
Published on November 29, 2006 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release
Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (6 - 8 - 3 = 15; 4th North Division) snapped a four game losing streak with a 'defense-first' victory over the Gwinnett Gladiators, 3-1, at the Sovereign Center. The Royals penalty kill kept the potent Gladiator power play off the board in seven chances, and goaltender Yutaka Fukufuji (3 - 3 - 0; 30/31) came up with several big stops at big moments to preserve the victory. Greg Hogeboom fueled the Royals' offense with a pair of goals-one on the power play and the other his league leading fourth short-handed goal of the season-one of which proved to be the game winner.
As has been the case in thirteen of the seventeen games played by the Royals this season, the opposition scored the game's first goal when defenseman Jamie Milam was able to bag a multi-shot rebound opportunity in tight at the 5:41 mark of the first period. The Royals were in danger of falling behind by two midway into the first on Gwinnett's first power play chance of the night, when Fukufuji was down and out-and the net was unguarded except for Chris Bala who made a brilliant stop on a Gladiator chance right on the door step to keep it a one goal game. The Royals tied it late in the period on the last second of the team's second power play chance, when Joe Zappala won an offensive zone face-off directly back to John Snowden, who was set up at the top of the right circle. Snowden ripped a snap shot high and hard behind Gwinnett goaltender Dan Turple (5 - 4 - 2; 30/33) that knocked the water bottle off the top the goal for his third of the season at the 18:01 mark.
In the second, the Royals capitalized at the end of a long power play sequence (due to a late first period double minor high sticking penalty assessed against the Gladiators' Andrew Contois), when Arpad Mihaly fed defenseman Jason Becker at the right point. Becker ripped a slap shot about six inches off the ice that was re-directed Hogeboom, who was closely guarded fifteen feet from the net. The puck slipped by Turple 2:20 into the period for Hogeboom's eighth of the season. Hogeboom then scored his league leading fourth short-handed goal of the season when new-comer Taylor Christie flipped one out of the defensive zone to the hard charging Hogeboom who beat everyone to the puck and drilled it through Turple to make it 3-1 6:49 into the period. There would be no more goals in this one as the Royals defense played smart and solid-despite getting outshot 11 - 1 in the third period-and Fukufuji made the stops he was called upon to make down the stretch, including a head-banger directly off the middle of his face-mask on a 45 foot blast by Gwinnett's Jon Awe.
The Royals return to the Sovereign Center for "Guys Night" on Friday (7:05 pm) when the team will face the Toledo Storm for the sixth time this year, and the first 1500 guys in attendance will receive a mini-tool kit key chain. That the Royals will honor the men at the game that night with a number of raffled giveaways. Royals' game night broadcasts can be heard live on ESPN Radio 1240 am (and on the internet through the Royals' website, www.royalshockey.com), beginning thirty minutes before the opening faceoff.
ECHL Stories from November 29, 2006
- Steelheads Fall To Wranglers 3-2 - Idaho Steelheads
- Wranglers Edge Steelheads 3-2 - Las Vegas Wranglers
- Royals Defense Stops High Flying Gwinnett, 3-1 - Reading Royals
- Blanshan Traded; Desmet activated - Idaho Steelheads
- Gladiators fall to Royals 3-1 - Atlanta Gladiators
- Ice Pilots weekly - Pensacola Ice Pilots
- Waugh joins the Chiefs - Johnstown Chiefs
- Victoria Salmon Kings game notes - Victoria Salmon Kings
- Chiefs offer gift ideas at Holiday Shop - Johnstown Chiefs
- Royals Sign Defenseman Taylor Christie - Reading Royals
- Steelheads launch new website - Idaho Steelheads
- McLean, Franck Recalled to Penguins - Wheeling Nailers
- Come to the game and have a quacking good time - Idaho Steelheads
- Suspensions, Fines Levied For November 25 Long Beach, Phoenix Game - ECHL
- Alaska's Smith Suspended Three Games - ECHL
- ECHL Today - ECHL
- Reichmuth ECHL Goalie of Week, Beckford-Tseu returns to Aces - Alaska Aces
- Condors tie it up late, fall in nine-round shootout - Bakersfield Condors
- Falcons Down Condors in Shootout 4-3 - Fresno Falcons
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