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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Drop Another Shootout To Storm, 4-3

February 25, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - For the fourth time in eight match-ups this season, the Reading Royals (32-13-7=71) and Toledo Storm ended regulation time in a tie, but the Royals ended up losing for the fourth time in five shootouts this season, as the Storm took the two points, 4-3. Despite the shootout loss, the Royals extended the team's unbeaten streak to six games (5-0-1), and the Royals have now picked up at least a point in fourteen of the last sixteen games the team has played (9-2-5).

After a scoreless first period, during which the Royals' Yutaka Fukufuji (13-7-4, 42/45) and Toledo's Drew MacIntyre traded highlight reel saves, the Storm got on the board first when Scooter Smith finished on a back-door feed from Todd Jackson while Toledo was on the power play 2:03 into the period. The Royals responded 32 seconds later when Shay Stephenson bagged his fourteenth goal of the season as he ripped a snap shot from the left circle high to the glove side on MacIntyre. Reading then took the team's first lead of the game when Eric Werner fired a high wrister from the top of the slot that beat MacIntyre to the glove side again while Reading was on the power play at the 7:51 mark of the second. For Werner that goal extended his personal point streak to six games (3g - 7a = 10pts). The Storm came back to tie things again (at two) 2:39 later with another power play goal on a deft deflection by Ken McGowan of a Mike Knight shot from the high slot. The Royals in turn came back to take their second lead of the game at the 14:49 mark of the second when Reagan Rome fired a wrister from the high slot that beat MacIntyre low to the glove side while Reading was on the power play. Once again, however, Toledo came back to tie things at three with just 36 seconds left in the period, when Jeff Attard skated coast to coast and made a power move to the net. Fukufuji made the stop on Attard's attempt, but Robert Snowball, who was the trailer, was able to slip it behind Fukufuji for his fourth of the season. After a scoreless third and overtime, the Storm and Royals went to the shootout for the second time this season, and Toledo was able to win (again) as all five Reading shooters (Dany Roussin, Stephenson, Werner, Grant Jacobsen, and Larry Courville) were held off the board, while Toledo got all it needed when Todd Jackson (shooting second) bagged his attempt to help the Storm break their four game losing streak.

The Royals take on the Storm again on Sunday afternoon (3:00 pm), before returning to the Sovereign Center next Tuesday night against the Greenville Grrrowl. The first 2500 fans at Tuesday night's game will receive a Royals' poster (the fourth in a series of five) courtesy of the Reading Eagle. Royals' game day broadcasts can be heard on ESPN Radio 1240 am in Ephrata and www.royalshockey.com with pre-game beginning 30 minutes before the opening face-off. Streaming video is also available through the Royals' website on a pay per view basis provided by B2 Networks.

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ECHL Stories from February 25, 2006


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