ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Fall In Game One to Cincinnati, 5-2

Published on April 5, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (0-1-0), 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 Cincinnati Cyclones (1-0-0), 5-2, in Game One of the best-of-five Eastern Conference Quarter Final Series at Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals scored the game's first two goals but the Cyclones rang off five straight to take the early series lead.

Royals' goaltender Matt Dalton (loss, 0-1-0; 20/24) didn't get much support and dropped to 3-5-0 over the past two seasons against Cincinnati in the playoffs. Brian Foster (win, 1-0-0; 22/24) rebounded from a shaky start to win his first pro playoff game. Reading's power play had more than enough opportunity, but was repeatedly stymied by the Cyclones' penalty killers (0-8). The Royals killed both power play chances for Cincinnati (0-2).

Reading struck 7:10 into the game, when Ryan Donald fired a snap shot from the high slot that Matt Caurana nicked on the way in just enough to cause the puck to change direction and elude Foster for the first goal of the playoff season. 6:21 after that, the Royals built the lead to 2-0 when Andrew Sarauer slipped a perfect saucer from deep on the left side to Chris Blight who filled an open spot directly in front of the Cyclones' net. Blight ripped a perfect snap shot top shelf glove side to make it 2-0, Reading.

Cincinnati began the comeback 17:47 into the first. While on delayed penalty and with the goaltender pulled, the Cyclones' Brady Calla found a seam in the right circle as he cut out of the right corner towards the middle of the ice. Calla fired a back-hand on goal. Dalton made the stop but the rebound fell to the left side of the low slot where Mathieu Aubin quickly ripped a snap shot home to get Cincinnati on the board.

The Cyclones tied the game 13:17 into the second when Ryan McLeod forced a turnover behind the Royals' goal and fed Sam D'Agostino in front of the net. D'Agostino, who was wide open and all alone, quickly shot up and over Dalton to make it 2-2.

4:49 into the third, Cincinnati got what proved to be the game winner when a Reading defender tracked down a loose puck in the neutral zone and tried to chip it back towards the Cyclones' zone. Instead, the puck hit the shin-pad of the charging McLeod, who then raced off into Reading's end of the ice, tracking the puck down, carrying in on Dalton and burying the shot low stick side. The Cyclones got some insurance 9:20 into the third, when Kevin Roeder activated off the left point and carried deep into the Royals defensive zone and then reversed a pass back up to the left point, where a waiting Adam Comrie unloaded a bomb that blew by everyone, including Dalton, to make it 4-2 Cincinnati. The Cyclones added an empty netter with 55 seconds left; but by then the damage had been done, as any come-back hopes for Reading had long faded by that point.

The Royals and Cyclones play Game Two of the best-of-five Eastern Conference Quarter-Final series tomorrow (Wednesday, April 5 @ 7:05 pm) at the Sovereign Center. The game night broadcast will kick off with the pre-game warm-up show presented by The Works at Wyomissing at 6:35 pm on WRAW 1340 am and on the internet at www.1340wraw.com. 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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