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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Explode for Bounce-Back Win over Elmira, 9-2

March 19, 2011 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (1st Atlantic Division, 39-20-2-3=83), 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 (2nd Atlantic Division, 31-25-6-3=71), 9-2, at Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals racked up a season high five power play goals in a game that included sixteen total power play chances for the two teams and a combined total of 126 of penalty minutes-and two ejections from the game. Andrew Sarauer, who last season became the first player in team history to register six points in a single game, accomplished that feat for the second time, racking up two goals and four assists.

Goaltender Daren Machesney (win, 3-13-0-0, 32/35) picked up his first win as a Royal in his second start for the team. Elmira's Marco Cousineau (loss, 20-13-4-1, 28/37) dropped to 4-3-1-0 in ten appearances against the Royals this year. Reading scored on the team's first power play chance and scored what proved to be the game winner (by Sarauer) with the team playing on a two-man advantage in the second period, as the team proceeded to score a season-high five power play goals (5-10). Elmira scored a second period power play goal (1-6) to draw within two at 4-2.

Reading scored first 9:06 into the game while playing with the man advantage. Denny Urban took control in the high slot, weaved his way into the right circle and threw a cross-ice pass to a waiting Olivier Labelle, who took the pass out of his skates and jammed it in for his seventeenth of the year. Elmira tied the game at one 15:44 into the first. Chris Frank fired from deep on the left side. Machesney knocked the shot down with his catching hand, and Justin Donati banged it home from the top of the crease for his twenty-seventh of the year. Forty-nine seconds later, Reading re-took the lead when a strong forecheck by Yannick Riendeau caused a turnover on the end wall in Elmira's zone. Riendeau got the puck to Ben Gordon, who in turn fed Ryan Cruthers, who was cutting right to left across the top of the crease. Cruthers not only bagged a back-hander for his twentieth of the season, but also took a stick in the face, causing the first of several ‘broo-ha-has' to erupt. This one resulted in a five-on-three power play for Reading and the ejection of Elmira's Oren Eizenman. The Royals capitalized on the five-on-three when Andrew Sarauer scored his third goal while playing with a two-man advantage over the last two games, as he settled the rebound of a hard Jared Ross shot from the high slot, did a 360, and buried his first of the night.

Reading took a 4-1 lead forty-one seconds into the second after the conclusion of another power play sequence, when Chris Blight charged off the left half-wall, got to the middle of the slot and ripped a snap shot behind Cousineau for his seventeenth of the year. 1:17 after that, Elmira struck for a power play goal, when Eric Regan got a prime look from deep in the right circle and water-bottled one across the body of Machesney for his twelfth of the year. Reading re-gained the three goal lead 12:24 into the second on another power play goal by Sarauer. He kept the puck at the offensive blue line, carried deep the right side, and roofed a brilliant back-hand on the short side for his ninth goal over the last six games and his twenty-third of the season. A short time later, the Jackals' Justin Donati unraveled after he took a body-check in the neutral zone by Jared Ross. Donati not only tracked Ross down after a whistle and speared him, earning one game misconduct, but also had a physical confrontation with a linesman on his way off the ice-earning a second game misconduct. He ended the tantrum by throwing his stick like a spear (and a glove) onto the ice from the bench.

The Royals, who have had considerable difficulty of late in the third period, answered that issue with four goals in the final period, including back-to-back goals by Riendeau (his fourteenth and fifteenth of the season) at 3:36 and 9:40 of the third. Denny Urban scored his second as a pro on a power play shot from the high slot that deflected off a stick and fluttered by Cousineau 12:52 into the final period. Reading capped the scoring with 4:24 left in regulation-again while playing with the man advantage-when Casey Haines punched back a rebound from the top of the crease for his fifteenth of the year to give Reading a nine-goal outburst for only the third time in the ten year history of the team.

The Royals and Jackals go at it again tomorrow (Sunday, March 20 @ 4:05 pm) at First Arena in Elmira, New York. The Royals game day broadcast will kick off with the pre-game warm-up show presented by The Works at Wyomissing on the Royals Broadcast Network (WRAW 1340 am in Reading, www.1340wraw.com) at 6:35 pm. You can also catch all of the Royals away games this season on Royals TV exclusively on BCTV courtesy of Boscov's Travel, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Season tickets for the Royals' 2010-11 season are currently available. To become a part of Royals hockey, call 610-898-PUCK or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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