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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Drop Jackals, 6-2

March 19, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Elmira, NY - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (32-27-1-4=69, 2nd East Division), affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, defeated the Elmira Jackals (34-22-4-3=75, 1st East Division), 6-2, at First Arena in Elmira, New York. For the second consecutive night, the Royals scored the game's first two goals and then proceeded to give up the lead, but-in contrast to last night's 4-3 shootout loss to Charlotte-the Royals re-grouped, broke the 2-2 tie and scored the next four goals to pull out the two points. The win ran the Royals' record to 5-7-0-1 against the Jackals this season. Goaltender Andrew Engelage (win, 7-2-0-0; 30/32) won in his first start against the Jackals this season. Elmira's Julien Ellis (loss; 15-9-1-1, 20/26, 52:12) dropped to 2-3-0-0 against the Royals this season; Casey Tuttle (no decision, 4/4 7:48) came in late in third to get his first pro experience. Neither the Royals (0-3) nor the Jackals (0-2) capitalized on the power play.

Elmira created several grade-A scoring chances in the early going, but were unable to capitalize, and 6:55 into the game, the Royals broke through for the game's first goal. Stefano Giliati picked off a loose puck as the Jackals tried to make their way through the neutral zone. Giliati carried into the offensive end and worked give-and-go with Andrew Sarauer, who slipped the puck through Ellis' legs for his twentieth of the year. The Royals went up by two 13:09 into the first when Scott Langdon activated off the left point to keep the puck alive in the offensive end. Olivier Labelle then retrieved in the left circle and slid a pass to Langdon in the mid-slot. Langdon's shot ricocheted off someone and landed to the stick of Ben Gordon on the right side of the crease. Gordon fired it in for his twenty-second of the year.

The Jackals got on the board 2:26 on a goal credited to Guillaume Lepine, who stepped up to the left half-wall and fired a shot towards the net. The puck ricocheted off someone in front of the net and bounced into the right side of the goal for his second of the year. Elmira tied the game at the 10:46 mark of the second when a defensive miscue at the Royals' blue line resulted in a two-on-none break for Elmira's Thomas Beauregard and Chris Korchinski, who worked a give-and-go until Korchinski jammed it home for his eighteenth of the year. Fifty-one seconds later, the Royals re-took the lead, when Langdon picked off a long clearing pass from the Jackals in the neutral zone. Langdon fired a beautiful diagonal down pass to Ryan Cruthers, who charged down the left wing side and beat Ellis to the short side for his eighteenth of the season.

Reading extended the lead to 4-2 at the 14:02 mark of the second after a wild sequence of up-and-down and back-and-forth rushes for both teams. The rush that resulted in the goal came when Sarauer ripped a perfect tape-to-tape pass from the defensive blue line to Giliati who was deep in the neutral zone. Giliati sped behind Elmira's defense and fired stick side on Ellis for his nineteenth of the season. The Royals added to the lead with 17.9 seconds remaining in the second while the two teams were playing four-on-four. Alex Berry, who would end up with three assists on the night, held the right half-wall and fired a shot on net. Ellis stopped that shot but left a big rebound at the top of the crease, where Sarauer took possession and wrapped it around and home for his second of the night and twenty-first of the year.

The Royals' got the only goal of the third period 2:52 into the period when the Berry kept the puck alive in the offensive zone and Aaron Brocklehurst slid a perfect pass to Giliati who was wide open just above the hash-marks. Giliati fired bar-and-in for his twentieth of the year. From that point forward, the pace of play slowed considerably as the Royals closed out the team's thirteenth road win of the season (13-15-1-1).

The Royals return to the Sovereign Center tomorrow (Saturday, March 20, 2010 @ 7:05 pm) where they'll face the Johnstown Chiefs for the last time in team history. The Royals game night broadcast on the Royals Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast will begin at 6:35 pm.

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