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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Earn A Point in SOL in Johnstown, 4-3

November 22, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (5-9-1= 11; 6th North Division) of the ECHL battled back from a two-goal third period deficit to get to the shootout, where the Johnstown Chiefs took the two points in the ninth round, 4-3. Reading scored first, but the Chiefs bounced back with three straight in the second and third; but the Royals got a pair of power play goals down the stretch to tie the game in regulation time. The SOL extended the Chiefs unbeaten streak against Reading to eight consecutive games (6-0-2) dating back to February 1, 2008. Goaltender Danny Taylor (3-8-1; 28/31; 7/9 in shootout), playing in his eighth consecutive game for the Royals, continued a pattern of making a number of critical stops at clutch moments; Johnstown's Kris Mayotte (7-1-0; 20/23; 8/9 in shootout) was equally good, making several huge stops on point blank opportunities for the Royals. Reading, who was 1 for 27 on the power play on the road coming into this game, went 2 for 7 with the man advantage; while the Chiefs were 1-5 on the power play.

Reading struck first 5:56 into the game when Kevin Harvey sprang Shawn Snider into the offensive end on the left wing side. Snider carried deep into the left circle where he ripped a laser across the body of Mayotte into the upper right corner of the net for his fifth goal of the year. Johnstown tied the game at the 4:22 mark of the second with a power play goal by Michael Bartlett. Andrew Saraurer pushed the puck into the left corner, where Bartlett retrieved and skated to the half wall and cut towards the middle of the ice. Bartlett gained the slot and fired a shot along the ice that pinballed off someone's skates and skidded between Taylor's legs for his second goal of the year.

Saraurer gave the Chiefs the lead at 2-1 a the 13:01 mark of the second when Ryan Del Monte carried into the offensive end and stopped up just inside the blue line on the right wing side. Saraurer wound it up in the neutral zone and found a seam as he entered the offensive end on the right side, and Del Monte dished to him as he went by, and Saraurer carried deep into the offensive end and beat Taylor stick side for his sixth goal of the year. The Chiefs extended the lead to 3-1 in the third period, when Codey Burki was able to swipe and settle a puck out of mid-air with his hand as he broke into the offensive end. Burki slipped behind the Reading defender and went high blocker side on Taylor, who made a brilliant stop; but the rebound fell to the slot where a hard charging Jason Spence whacked the puck off the bar and in for his second of the year 6:48 into the third.

The Royals used the energy generated in a tilt between Kevin Harvey and Spence forty-eight seconds after Spence's goal to mount the comeback effort. Reading cut the lead to 3-2 with a power play goal by Luciano Aquino thirty-seconds after the Harvey-Spence fight. Defenseman Gerard Miller, playing in his first game for the Royals, gained entry in the offensive end and dished a saucer to Aquino who stepped into the slot and let go of a slapper that beat Mayotte to the stick side. Reading then tied the game with 5:51 remaining in regulation with the team's second power play goal of the night. Aquino carried into the offensive end and found Rob LaLonde trailing the rush on the left wing side. LaLonde fired a low, hard pass to the right side of the crease, where Kirk MacDonald re-directed for his fifth of the season.

The two teams traded chances for the remainder of regulation time; and, in overtime, the Royals were able to hold off the Chiefs' attack and got a golden chance to win it in the waning seconds of OT when Mac Faulkner fed Ned Lukacevic for what appeared to be a tap in game winner, but the shot went across the goal mouth and wide. The game then went to the shootout, which took nine shooters to resolve. For the Royals the shooters were: Lukacevic, Shawn Snider, Aquino, Mac Faulkner, Brock Hooton, Miller, MacDonald, Tyler Doig, and Dan Rudisuela-and only Aquino scored. The Chiefs sent Saraurer, Petr Pohl, Randy Rowe, Ryan Garlock, Mike Knight, Bartlett, Del Monte, Buki and Jon Landry. Pohl scored on his attempt and Landry's goal (in the ninth round) proved to be the difference.

The Royals return to the Sovereign Center next tomorrow night, Saturday, November 22, @ 7:05 pm, when the Elmira Jackals travel to Reading. Saturday's games will be broadcast live on the Royals Radio Network Presented by Transmissions by Arbogast (True Oldies WRAW 1340 am in Reading; and The Ticket WLAN 1390 am in Lancaster), as well as on the internet via webcast hosted by Sportsjuice.com, which can be accessed through the Royals website. To become a part of Royals hockey, call 610-898-PUCK or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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