ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Dropped By Jackals

Published on March 31, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Elmira, NY - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (35-29-1-5=76, 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, were defeated by the Elmira Jackals (36-25-6-3=81, 1st East Division), 5-3, at First Arena in Elmira, New York. The win clinched the East Division title-and the third seed in the American Conference-for Elmira. The Jackals will face the Florida Everblades-the sixth seed-in the first round of the playoffs. With two regular season games to go, the Royals still need to earn a point in the standings (or have the Trenton Devils lose a point in the standings) to earn a playoff berth in the American Conference. Goaltender Matt Dalton (loss, 21-20-0-4; 36/41) faced at least forty shots for the seventeenth time this year. Elmira's Chris Holt (win, 9-4-1-0; 24/27) beat the Royals for the third time this season. Reading's second goal to cut the Jackals lead to 3-2 mid-way into the second period was scored while the team had the man advantage (1-5). Elmira's first and last goals were scored while they were on the power play (2-8).

Elmira struck on the power play 7:32 into the game. Thomas Beauregard set up just above the hash-marks for a one-timer that was blocked by Jimmy Fraser. However, the puck fell to Tyler Donati in the right circle, and he quickly dished back to Beauregard, who got a second bite at the one-timer from the same spot on the ice. This one went high blocker on Dalton for Beauregard's thirty-sixth of the season. The Jackals took a 2-0 lead, shortly after Reading killed another power play opportunity for Elmira. While the Royals were trying to get re-organized after returning to full strength, Tyler Donati stole on the fore-check and sent a perfect back-hand saucer from wide on the right side to the dot in the left face-off circle, where his waiting brother clanged a one-timer under Dalton and into the net for his thirty-ninth of the season.

The Jackals extended their lead to three at the 4:36 mark of the second when Wes Cunningham fired a wrister from the high slot that somehow snuck through for his eleventh of the year. Reading bounced back, however, and got on the board forty-five seconds later when Marc Cavosie got a couple of whacks at a loose puck at the right side of the Jackals' net and forced it through for his ninth of the year. The Royals then cut the lead to 3-2 at the 9:55 mark of the second period with a power play goal by Aaron Brocklehurst. The team attacked the Elmira net and created a scramble in tight with opportunities coming to Ryan Cruthers and Olivier Labelle. Late in the sequence, Daniel Steiner forced the puck from left to right across the crease, where a Brocklehurst had stepped in to bag his fifteenth of the year.

Elmira got what proved to be the game winner with 40.6 seconds left in the second period. The Jackals pressed hard off the fore-check, and the Royals tried to force it out on the right wall. Keegan Dansereau stepped in, stole, and turned and wheeled a wild shot towards the Royals' net that appeared to deflect off a Reading defender and beat Dalton to the short-side to make it 4-2, Elmira. That was Dansereau's fourteenth of the year. Elmira got some insurance with a power play goal 10:07 into the third when R.J. Anderson fired a shot from the high slot that was deflected by Chaz Johnson and slipped under the right arm of Dalton for Johnson's eighth of the year. Reading drew within two again (5-3) at the 13:10 mark of the third period, when Ben Gordon carried deep into the right circle and tried to blow one by Holt. That shot hit Holt in the middle of the body, but the rebound fell to the left side of the net, where Alex Berry stepped up to punch it in for his first goal as a member of the Royals. Reading attempted to continue the comeback effort down the stretch, but it was not to be on this night, as the Royals completed the fourteen game regular season set against the Jackals 5-8-0-1.

The Royals continue their efforts to earn a playoff spot in the American Conference on Friday (April 2, 2010 @ 7:35 pm) when the team closes out the season-long six game road trip at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia against the Wheeling Nailers. The Royals game night broadcast on the Royals Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast will begin at 7:05 pm.

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