ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Fall In Squeaker to Augusta, 3-2

October 26, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - For the first time this season, the Reading Royals (1-3-0 = 2) of the ECHL scored the game's first goal, but couldn't hold that lead for long as the Augusta Lynx built a two-goal lead and held Reading off down the stretch to win their first appearance at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania, since 2004, 3-2. Royals' goaltender, Danny Taylor (loss, 0-2-0; 36/39) kept the Royals in the game in the early going and made a number of quality stops during the night; but was unable to register his first win of the season. Augusta's Riku Helenius (2-0-1; 29/31) remained unbeaten on the season. The Royals put themselves behind the eight-ball with a several ill-advised penalties, which resulted in a critical goal for the Lynx and, on a couple of occasions, sapped the team from building momentum.

After Taylor made several difficult and acrobatic stops in the opening moments, the Royals bagged the game's first goal on the team's first power play chance of the night. Tyler Doig fed Matt Herneisen just above the right side of the Lynx crease; and, as the Augusta defenders converged on him, Herneisen dished on the left side of the net to Shawn Snider, who bagged his second goal of the year (and extended his personal point streak to all four of the Royals' games this season) 7:46 into the game.

5:27 later, the Lynx tied the game with five-on-three power play goal. With the Royals already playing short-handed, Kevin Harvey was assessed with an unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty, giving the Lynx the two-skater advantage-which they did not waste. In fact, just sixteen seconds later, Chris Brooks ripped a shot high over the top of the net and off the back glass from the top of the left circle. The puck ricocheted off the glass and came out on the other side of the goal, where Aaron Slattengren was waiting for the put back goal to tie the game at one. With just 1:26 left in the first, the Lynx took the lead for good when Matt Auffrey drew the Royals' defenders into the right circle, and then fed Slattengren, who had slipped between the hash-marks and right behind the Reading defenders. Slattengren didn't waste that chance, either, going high blocker side on Taylor to make it 2-1, Augusta.

After a scoreless second, the Lynx got what proved to be the game winner 7:32 into the third period. The Royals had clean possession of the puck in the defensive zone, but a errant breakout pass resulted in a neutral zone turnover and a transition rush for the Lynx. Michael Mullen ended up with the puck at the top of the right circle and his partially misfired shot slipped through Taylor to make it 3-1, Augusta. The Royals drew within one at the 15:27 mark of the third, when defenseman Dinos Stamoulis tracked down a loose puck in the right wing corner and threw the puck towards the net from below the goal line. Somehow, the puck slipped through Helenius, who was pinching on the right pipe to make it 3-2. But that proved too little, too late, as the Royals remained winless at the Sovereign Center this season.

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ECHL Stories from October 26, 2008


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