ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Fall in South Carolina, 5-2

Published on November 6, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


North Charleston, SC - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (5-4-1-011, 2nd Atlantic Division), 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 South Carolina Stingrays (8-3-0-012, 1st South Division), 5-2, at North Charleston Coliseum. The Royals gave up the game's first four goals before coming up with back-to-back goals to make a game of it-only to have a late short-handed empty netter ice it for the Stingrays. The loss snapped a four game winning-and five game unbeaten-streak on the road for the Royals.

Joe Palmer (2-3-0-0, 20/24) sustained his second consecutive loss for Reading. The Stingrays' Philip Grubauer (6-0-0-0, 22/24) was solid in all phases and registered his sixth straight win. Reading's power play came through on the fourth chance in the third period to make it a two goal game (1-4). South Carolina hit pay-dirt on their only power play chance of the game to build a 3-0 lead in the second (1-1).

The Stingrays struck 3:50 into the game when Matt Pope fired a shot from the right point that appeared to be deflected on the way in and snuck five-hole for Pope's sixth of the year. 3:30 into the second South Carolina took a 2-0 lead when Trent Campbell carried deep down the right wing side and fired a snap shot high blocker for his third of the season and two-hundredth point as a Stingray.

South Carolina opened up what proved to be an insurmountable three-goal lead with a power play goal mid-way into the second when Palmer was left dangerously vulnerable after a Stingray player knocked the catching glove out of his left hand. The whistle didn't blow until Pierre-Luc O'Brien's shot from the left circle ended up in the net 9:26 into the second. The Stingrays made it 4-0 when Anthony Maiani was able to punch a loose puck at the top of the crease through for his first of the year 13:34 into the second.

Reading finally broke through with 4:26 left in the second when Everett Sheen fired off the rush from the top of the right circle and hit Grubauer right between the eyes. The puck fell to the left side of the crease where Matt Schepke stepped in and punched it home for his second of the year. Reading broke through on the power play mid-way into the third period to make it a two goal game. Ryan Cruthers slid a back-door feed from deep on the left side across the top of the crease to a waiting Yannick Riendeau who buried it in the open side of the goal for his third power play goal of the season.

The Royals continued the third period press, outshooting the Stingrays 11-7 in the final twenty-minutes but were unable to draw any closer-and a short-handed empty netter by Johan Kroll with 1:13 left ice it, handing Reading the team's first regulation road loss of the year (4-1-1-0).

The Royals continue a five game road trip on Wednesday (November 9, 2011 @ 7:00 pm) in Trenton, New Jersey against the Trenton Titans. The game night broadcast will start at 6:30 pm with the Red Robin Gourmet Burger Pre-Game Warm-up Show on ESPN Radio 1240 am in Reading. Streaming audio is available free of charge courtesy of America One through the Royals' website, www.royalshockey.com. As with all Royals road games, next Friday's contest in Greenville will be televised in Berks County on BCTV courtesy of Boscov's Travel and the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

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