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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Fall In Shootout To Charlotte, 4-3

March 19, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (31-27-1-467, 2nd East Division), affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, fell in a shootout to the Charlotte Checkers (37-20-4-381, 2nd East Division), 4-3, at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals scored the game's first two goals, but the Checkers bounced back to take a 3-2 lead to the third. Reading got a third period game-tying power play goal from Ryan Cruthers but couldn't complete the comeback, as the Checkers took the two points in the shootout. Matt Dalton (18-19-0-3; 23/26; 3/5 in shootout) made a couple of big stops at big moments, including one from point blank range in overtime, but dropped to 2-3 in the shootout this season. Charlotte's Garrett Zemlak (1-0-0-0; 32/35; 4/5 in shootout) won in his first game as a pro. The Royals power play scored a couple of goals-including the third period game-tying goal-but the team's PP also squandered a number of chances with the man advantage, including 1:16 of five-on-three in the third period (2-10). Charlotte got the team's first goal while on the power play (1/4).

Reading struck first 6:21 into the game, when Rob LaLonde fired a wrister from the high slot that Zemlak, who had lost his stick in the sequence, stopped with the pad; but the rebound fell to the top of the crease, where Olivier Labelle, who had inside position, stuffed it in for his team leading twenty-second goal of the year. The Royals took a 2-0 lead 2:58 into the second period while playing with the man advantage. Ryan Cruthers fired a cross-ice pass from deep on the left wing side to Stefano Giliati in the right circle. Giliati settled and fired a perfect shot high to the short side for his eighteenth of the year.

1:38 later, the Checkers struck with a power play goal of their own. David Urquhart fired a shot from the high slot that deflected off Dalton's blocker and fell to the right side of the crease, where Daniel Tkaczuk tapped it in for his tenth of the year. Charlotte tied the game at two at the 7:26 mark of the first on a controversial goal that was originally credited to Andrew Carroll and was later changed Steve Ward. Ward took control in the mid-slot and fired a shot that appeared headed over the net, but hit something on the way in-the Royals felt it was the stick of Carroll as he floated in front of the net-and ricocheted in a downward direction into the upper corner of the net. Despite the protestations of the Royals, the goal was allowed. The Checkers took a 3-2 lead at the 13:08 mark of the second, when Matt Schepke took possession at the offensive blue line and slid behind the Royals' defense and broke in on Dalton, who made a spectacular stop; however, the rebound fell to the right side of the crease, where a trailing Tkaczuk chipped it over Dalton for his second of the night and eleventh of the year.

The Royals had numerous chances in the third, particularly during four consecutive power play chances-two of which overlapped to provide 1:16 of five-on-three with 13:21 remaining in the game. But Reading was unable to break through until the team's tenth power play chance of the night-at the 11:44 mark of the third, when Cruthers picked off a failed clearing attempt with his glove. He settled, walked deep into the slot and uncorked a blast that beat Zemlak to the stick side for his seventeenth of the season. The two teams traded chances down the stretch and during the five minute overtime. The best for Charlotte came with 2:34 left in OT when Dalton stoned Tkaczuk from point blank range in front of the Royals' net; shortly thereafter, the Royals had their best chance, when Ben Gordon tracked down a loose puck in the offensive end and just missed high with a back-hand as he cut to the center of the ice.

In the shootout, Charlotte's Aaron Slattengren, shooting first, got the Checkers on the board. After Olivier Labelle was stopped in the first round, Stefano Giliati scored in the second-but no other Royal could break through (Cruthers, Andrew Sarauer, and Gordon); Dalton kept the next three shooters for Charlotte off the board (Michel Leveille, Schepke, and Tkaczuk), but Andrew Caroll, shooting fifth, bagged what proved to be the game winner.

The Royals head to the First Arena in Elmira, New York tomorrow (Friday, March 19, 2010 @ 7:35 pm) to take on the Elmira Jackals for the thirteenth time this year. The Royals game night broadcast on the Royals Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast will begin at 7:05 pm.

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