ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Fall To Cincy In OT, 4-3

April 4, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (38-26-8=84, 3rd North Division) of the ECHL battled back with a pair of third period power play goals to tie, but the Cincinnati Cyclones picked up their fifty-fifth win of the year in OT, 4-3, at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals completed the 2007-08 regular season with Fan Appreciation Night at the Sovereign Center, where the team finished 22-9-5. Goaltender John Murray (3-3-1; 21/25) sustained his first pro overtime loss; while Cody Rudkowsky (17-21-5; 29/32) remained unbeaten in his pro career against the Royals (6-0-1).

Cincinnati struck first 6:54 into the game, when David Desharnais forced a Royals' defensive zone turnover and found Mathieu Aubin in front of Reading's goal. Aubin slid a back-hander behind Murray for his twenty-ninth goal of the year. The Royals tied the game 40 seconds later when Rob LaLonde threw a long stretch pass from the Royals' defensive zone to the breaking Dany Roussin at the offensive blue-line. Roussin was able to settle the fluttering puck with his glove and slip behind the Cincinnati defenseman for a break on Rudkowsky. Roussin finished with a backhander for his twenty-third goal of the year. With that goal, the fifty-third of his career with the Royals, Roussin tied Brad Rooney (2001-03) as the team's all-time career record holder for goals scored.

The Cyclones took a 2-1 lead 12:31 into the second period when Olivier Latendresse slipped a Royals' defender in the right circle and broke to the top of the crease, where he lost possession of the puck. However, Desharnais stepped up and chipped the loose puck over Murray for his twenty-ninth goal of the year. Cincinnati extended the lead to 3-1 with a five-on-three power play goal by Thomas Beauregard. The Cyclones worked the puck on the perimeter until Beauregard mis-fired on a one-timer from the top of the left circle; however, the puck knuckled in on goal and hit the joint between the cross-bar and right pipe and ricocheted into the net for Beauregard's thirty-first goal of the year.

The Royals began their climb back in at the 12:47 mark of the third with a five-on-three power play goal by P.J. Atherton. After working the puck around the perimeter, Atherton ripped a one-timer from the top of the left circle that blitzed by Rudkowsky low to the stick side for Atherton's sixteenth goal of the year. Reading tied the game at three 15:21 into the third, while on the power play-and with a delayed penalty call on, the goaltender pulled, and the sixth attacker on the ice. Brock Hooton stepped up in the high slot and fired a low snap shot that went through a maze of traffic and into the net for his twenty-sixth goal of the year.

The Royals had their chances throughout the game, including a point blank opportunity for defenseman Mike Salekin in the waning moments of overtime; but Reading couldn't find the net at the critical moment and the Cyclones did-with 23.1 seconds remaining in the OT. Ryan Russell carried into the offensive zone cut from right to left deep into the left circle where he ripped a snap shot behind Murray on the short-side for his sixth goal of the year. This marked the seventeenth game of the year for Reading to go beyond regulation time, and the Royals finished 9-8 in those games: 5-6 in overtime and 4-2 in the shootout.

Next up for Reading is Game One of the North Division Semi-Final best of seven playoff series against the Elmira Jackals on Friday, April 11 (7:35 pm) at First Arena in Elmira, New York. The series returns to the Sovereign Center for Game Two on Saturday, April 12 (7:05 pm). The game night broadcast next Friday will begin at 7:05 pm with the pre-game warm-up show on ESPN Radio 1240 am in Ephrata, as well as on the internet through the Royals' website, www.royalshockey.com. Streaming video is available on a pay per view basis through the B2 Networks.

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics



ECHL Stories from April 4, 2008


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