ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Fall in Shootout In Wheeling, 5-4

March 21, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Wheeling, WV - The Reading Royals (21-39-5= 47; 7th North Division) of the ECHL took a two goal lead to the third period, but were unable to hold off the hard-charging Wheeling Nailers, who won 5-4 in a shootout at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia. With the SOL, the Royals record at WesBanco this season dropped to 0-3-1 with one more game to be played here tomorrow. Beau Erickson (sol, 0-0-1; 45/49) got the full-on workout in his pro debut; while David Brown (win, 13-3-2; 22/26) made any number of spectacular stops down the stretch and made all four in the shootout to pick up the critical two points for the Nailers. Reading's first goal was scored while the team was on the power play (1-3). The Nailers got a pair, including their first of the night, while playing with the man advantage (2-7).

Reading struck first with three seconds left in the first power play chance of the night, when Dan Rudisuela took a feed from Chris Stevens and carried deep into the left circle, where he ripped a blast that slipped between Brown's legs and trickled across the goal line for his nineteenth of the year at the 4:26 mark of the first. Fifty-four seconds later, the Nailers scored on their first power play chance of the night, when Reid Cashman fired one from the high slot that appeared to hit a Reading defender and end up in the net. The Royals re-took the lead a the 13:18 mark of the first, when Erik Felde threw a wrister from the right point that hit Tyler Doig deflected into the net for Doig's fourteenth of the year.

The Nailers tied things 6:11 into the second when a Billy Ryan forced a turnover at the Royals' defensive blue line. Ryan then fed Bryan Ewing who walked down the slot and ripped one bar-and-in for his forty-first of the year. The Royals bounced back to re-gain the lead 13:12 into the second when Chris Stevens stole a pass at the Reading defensive blue line and charged into Nailers' territory, but Brown rejected his breakaway bid. Rudisuela kept the play alive behind the net and fed Stevens, who in turn fed the trailer, Tom Sawatske, who buried the shot from close range for his fourth of the year and first as a Royal. Reading took a two goal lead at the 17:29 mark of the second when Doig scored his second of the night after he and Ben Gordon worked a series of give-and-go passes through the neutral zone and into the offensive end. That rush ended when Doig settled deep in the right circle and ripped one top shelf on Brown for his fifteenth of the year.

The Nailers began their comeback effort at the 3:17 mark of the third with a power play goal by Jordon Morrison, who took a feed from Tommy Goebel at the right side of the net and buried his twenty-third of the year. The Royals had a chance to re-gain the lead at the 9:48 mark of the third when the team was awarded their fourth short-handed penalty shot of the season-this one to Vince Rocco, playing in just his second pro game. But Brown had the answer for that, and the Nailers tied the game with 5:39 left in regulation, when Erickson stopped a shot from the top of the left circle by Ewing. The rebound, however, slid out of Erickson's reach at the top of the crease, where Billy Ryan took control and slipped it for his ninth of the year.

After a scoreless overtime, the Nailers got shootout goals from Chris Margott (playing in his first pro game and shooting first) and Ryan (shooting third), while the Royals were unable to solve Brown in their four shootout attempts (Rudisuela, Stevens, Ben Gordon, and Doig), as Reading fell to 2-3 in the shootout this year.

The Royals and Nailers go at it again tomorrow (Sunday, March 22 @ 4:05 pm) at WesBanco Arena. Sunday's game 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.

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics



ECHL Stories from March 21, 2009


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