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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Fall In Johnstown, 4-2

November 7, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Johnstown, PA - In a story in that has become all too familiar for the Reading Royals (3-6-0 = 6; 6th North Division) of the ECHL, the Royals gave up an early goal and battled back only to fall short in a come back effort down the stretch, losing to the Johnstown Chiefs at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, 4-2. Goaltender James Reimer (no decision, 9/10; 20:00) started and played the first period, but was removed at the start of the second period apparently as a precautionary measure after he was shaken up in a first period collision in and around the Royals' goal. Danny Taylor (1-5-0; 19/22; 40 minutes) came on in substitution and sustained the loss. Johnstown's Kris Mayotte (3-0-0; 18/20) won his third straight game for the Chiefs. Reading's power play was blanked in four chances with the man advantage; and, for the first time this season, Reading's penalty killers kept the opposition's power play off the board (0-1).

Johnstown struck 1:37 into the game with a goal that was eerily familiar to several of the goals scored by the Cincinnati Cyclones against Reading on Wednesday night: an odd-man rush off the transition that ends with a tap-in goal. This one was tapped in by Matt Robinson after a nice give-and-go sequence with Ryan Del Monte and Michael Bartlett. The Royals teetered a bit after that goal, but pushed back hard later in the period, particularly after a knock-down drag out between Mike Salekin and Jason Spence. Reading struck pay dirt 57 seconds into the second period, when Matt Herneisen was sprung into the offensive end with a feed from Shawn Snider. Herneisen's original shot was blocked by a Johnstown defender, but he got his own rebound and quickly chipped the puck over Mayotte for his third goal of the season.

Johnstown regained the lead 8:04 into the second period while the two teams were playing four skaters aside. As the Royals' Snider carried into the offensive end, defenseman David Shultz pick-pocketed the puck and was off to the races in the other direction. Schulz uncorked a high, hard snap shot that beat Taylor to the glove side to give the Chiefs a 2-1 lead. 2:17 later, the Chiefs stretched the lead to two (3-1), when another turnover-this one directly in front of the Royals' goal after several Reading players misfired on an apparently easy opportunity to clear-resulted in a tap in goal for Ryan Garlock at the left side of the Royals' net.

The Royals still refused to fold, playing hard through the remainder of the second and into the third; but it was the Chiefs who would get the next goal as well. Once again, the Royals had clean possession of the puck as Mike Salekin carried into the offensive end and dished towards Jeff Corey. That pass went awry however and Del Monte took control and chipped to Peter Pohl who was waiting-wide open and all alone-at the Chiefs' offensive blue line. Pohl didn't miss on the breakaway, going to the backhand to beat Taylor and make it 4-1. Reading kept trying to claw back in; and got a bit closer when a long shot by Mac Faulkner eluded Mayotte to make it 4-2 at the 14:35 mark of the third. For Faulkner, that marked his team leading fifth goal; but, once again, it would be too little, too late as Reading dropped the team's second game in a row.

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