ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Drop Pre-Season Opener 4-3 To Trenton

Published on October 14, 2006 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Wyomissing, PA - In the first pre-season game of the season, the Reading Royals were unable to make the most of their chances with the man advantage, scoring just one time in fourteen power play opportunities on their way to a 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Trenton Titans at the Body Zone Sports & Wellness Complex in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. In contrast, the Titans scored their first three goals with the man advantage and their fourth (and game winner) came directly at the conclusion of another power play sequence. Goaltenders Yutaka Fukufuji for the Royals and Joel Martin for the Titans got their pre-season work in, as a total of 75 shots were fired on goal (41 - 34, Trenton) many of them during the collective 26 power play chances between the two clubs.

Despite the fact that the Royals had the first six power play opportunities of the evening, it was Trenton who capitalized first with the man advantage when Evan Shaw scored a four-on-three power play goal at the 9:46 mark of the first period. The Titans' Les Haggettt found Chris Cava at the top of the right circle, and Cava's low slap shot was re-directed by Shaw behind Fukufuji. Despite having nine power plays and seventeen shots on goal in the first period, the Royals were unable to find pay dirt thanks in large part to several spectacular stops by Martin.

In the second, Trenton capitalized on the power play again when Jerramie Domish fired a low slap shot from the mid-slot that was redirected by John Laliberte, who was planted at the top of the crease, between Fukufuji's legs to give Trenton a 2-0 lead 1:32 into the period. The Royals got on the board with a re-direct of their own, while the teams were playing four aside, when defenseman Shawn Germain slid one toward the left side of the net and Dave Borrelli deftly changed the puck's direction just enough to get behind Martin at the 7:34 mark of the second period. Trenton took a 3-1 lead 9:45 into the second with their third power play goal of the night, when Scott Sheppard put back a loose puck from the right side of the net after Fukufuji made a sprawling stop on a Gregg Johnson shot from the top of the right circle. The Royals responded with their first power play goal of the night (on their twelfth chance with the man advantage) when Shawn Thompson ripped a one-timer off the top of the right circle that beat Martin high glove side with 3:41 remaining in the second. Reading tied the game at three with just 24 seconds remaining in the second when Kevin Saurette intercepted a Trenton clearing attempt and blasted a slap shot that went off the body of Kris Kasper and into the net.

Trenton scored what proved to be the game winner 11:06 into the third-directly at the conclusion of the fourth consecutive power play sequence of the period for the Titans. After the Titans forced turnover in the defensive zone, Trenton's Justin Maiser threw one on goal through traffic that slipped through Fukufuji and into the net. The Royals had a relatively late power play chance when Scott Selig picked up a tripping minor with 5:09 remaining in regulation; but Reading was unable to convert and ended the evening one for fourteen with the man advantage. These two teams play the back-end of the ‘home-and-home-away from home' pre-season series tomorrow afternoon at the Grundy Recreation Center in Bristol, Pennsylvania (215-788-3311).

Full season tickets and total choice flex plans and individual game tickets for the 2006-07 season of Royals' hockey are currently on sale. For more information, contact the Royals' office at 610-898-7825 or visit the Royals website, www.royalshockey.com.




ECHL Stories from October 14, 2006


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