ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Fall In Wild Shootout Against Elmira, 6-5

Published on October 17, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (0-1-1=2, 3rd East Division), affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, fell in a shootout to the Elmira Jackals, 6-5, a the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals scored first and led by a goal early in the second, but three consecutive second period goals by the Jackals forced Reading to battle back and earn a tie after 65 minutes of hockey. Ben Gordon scored first and last in the game for his first two goals of the season. Elmira's Justin Donati scored once, assisted on another, and was the only player out of ten shooters to score in the shootout. Royals goaltender, Kevin Regan (0-1-1; 23/28; 4/5, so) hung tough in a game filled with wild chances; Elmira's Michael Teslak (2-0-0; 35/40; 5/5, so) kept his season record unblemished. The Royals power play finally broke through (2-11), but would have liked more, particularly on several extended sequences of five-on-three in the third period. The Jackals broke through twice on the man advantage, as well (2-7).

Reading struck first 5:36 into the game when Ben Gordon blasted one out of the left circle that beat Teslak low to the short side for Gordon's first of the season. Elmira tied the game 11:07 into the first when Tyler Donati's shot from just inside the blue line bounced off Regan's left shoulder and then off the cross-bar, falling to the ice where a charging Chaz Johnson punched it in.

Both teams scored three in the second. The Royals started with a wrister from the left point by Scott Langdon that beat Teslak glove side for Langdon's first pro goal. Elmira then rang off three straight-back-to-back power play goals by Justin Donati (5:40) and Olivier Proulx (12:57) and then a tap in by Chanse Fitzpatrick after an unfortunate bounce off the kick plate on a simple dump found a falling Regan out of position. The Royals came back hard, starting with Ben McLeod's second of the season after Stefano Giliati beat everyone to a loose puck in the offensive end and fed McLeod at the top of the crease for the hard snap under the bar. Giliati then scored his first goal as a Royal-and the first power play goal of the season for Reading-after Eric Werner kept left point and Daniel Steiner threw a cross-ice diagonal feed to the right side of the crease, where Giliati got enough of the puck to deflect it in with just 1:18 remaining in the period.

Elmira took the lead back (5-4) 5:53 into the third, when Chris Korchinski tracked down a loose puck in Reading's end and fed Fitzpatrick at the top of the crease for the re-direct. But the Royals re-tied the game at five with just 6:30 remaining while playing on one of several long sequences with the two man advantage in the third period. A shot by Werner from the right point ricocheted off a stick to a point low in the left circle where Gordon was able to sneak it through for his second of the game. After a scoreless overtime, the teams' goaltenders traded shootout stops until Justin Donati scored shooting fourth for the Jackals. Neither Danick Bouchard nor Eric Werner (shooting fourth and fifth, respectively) were able to answer and the Royals had to settle for one point.

Next up, the Royals travel to Toledo, Ohio to play in the brand new Lucas County Arena for the first time in team history, when they face the Toledo Walleye this Friday night (October 23, 2009 @ 7:00 pm). To become a part of Royals hockey, call 610-898-PUCK or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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ECHL Stories from October 17, 2009


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