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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Drop Opener to Jackals, 5-2

October 17, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Elmira, NY - The Reading Royals (0-1-0 = 0) of the ECHL had to play from behind for virtually the entire game in the season opener and were never able to catch and pass the North Division arch-rival Elmira Jackals (1-0-0 = 2) at First Arena in Elmira, New York, losing 5-2. The Jackals scored twelve seconds into the game on their first shot and, for the most part from that point forward, prevented the Royals from creating the quantity and quality of scoring chances that were needed to muster a comeback. Danny Taylor (loss, 0-1-0; 33/37, 1 eng) took the loss for the Royals, while Mitch O'Keefe (win 1-0-0; 30/32) won his first ECHL start. Reading's power play was held off the board in five chances, while the Jackals went one for ten with the man advantage, which included two long sequences of five-on-three.

Elmira took the lead on their first shot of the game twelve seconds after the opening face-off. Defenseman Brandon Roach fed Tyler Donati, on the left wing side in the neutral zone. Donati slid the puck to Moises Gutierrez at the offensive blue line. Gutierrez found a seam and was able to get off a long snap shot that beat Taylor, who may have been screened, high to the glove side. The Royals re-grouped and tied the game at one 10:28 into the first, when Tyson Marsh and Matt Herneisen teamed up to spring Shawn Snider into the offensive end. Snider drove deep on the right wing side and was able to drill a shot short-side on O'Keefe to bag the Royals' first goal of the season. The Jackals immediately took the lead back with their only power play goal of the night. Shortly after a long sequence of five-on-three had expired and the Jackals still had a one-skater advantage, Donati corralled a loose puck at the left side of the Royals' goal and found himself with substantial time and space. He did not waste it. He fired the puck across the body of Taylor and into the far right side of the net for his first goal of the night.

In the second, the game took on a tight tone until late in the period, when Elmira took their first two goal lead of the game. As the Royals carried into the offensive end, Elmira's Wes Cunningham broke up the rush and started the transition. Donati, who factored in all five Elmira goals, carried through the neutral zone and into the Royals' end where he found Steve Yetman, who had slipped behind Reading's defense on the left wing side and went hard to the net where he finished, making it 3-1, Elmira.

Reading closed the gap to one 4:37 into the third with the team's first short-handed goal of the season. With Elmira working in the offensive end on the power play, Royals' defender Steve Ward stepped in to steal and free up Mac Faulkner and Jeff Corey on a two-on-one break up ice. Faulkner carried into the Jackals' zone and dished to Corey, who cut right-to-left across the top of the crease and took a backhand that beat O'Keefe to make it 3-2, Elmira. The Jackals regained the two goal lead, 3:29 later on another successful rush up ice. On this one, Donati dished to Yetman, who was able to rip a one-timer as the left-handed shot slowed and turned to face the puck coming into his body. Yetman uncorked a rocket that beat Taylor under the bar on the glove side to make it 4-2. The Royals pushed down the stretch, but were unable to solve O'Keefe who was strong at the critical moments. Donati capped off his five point night with an empty netter with just 22 seconds left, but by that time, this one was all but resolved in favor of the Jackals.

The Royals head to Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey to fact the Trenton Devils tomorrow night. Game time is 7:00 pm with the pre-game show on the Royals' Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast (WRAW 1340 am in Reading; and WLAN 1390 am in Lancaster) beginning at 6:30 pm.

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