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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Fall to Johnstown, 4-3

March 16, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Johnstown, PA - The Reading Royals (35-22-6=76, 3rd North Division) of the ECHL were unable to hold a third period lead at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, as the Johnstown Chiefs pulled off the comeback win, 4-3. This marked the first time this season that the Royals have lost in regulation after entering the third period with lead (24-1-3). The loss extended Reading's road winless streak to five games (0-4-1). Terry Denike (7-6-3; 20/24) sustained the loss; while Ryan Nie (24-10-4; 38/31) picked up his fourth win of the season against the Royals.

Reading scored first 12:17 into the game on the team's first power play chance of the night. Shawn Collymore carried deep on the right wing side and sent a pass back-up to the low slot to Patrick Jarrett who was trailing the rush. Jarrett fired a one-timer that beat Nie along the ice to the glove side for his eighth goal of the year. Johnstown tied the game at one 1:57 later when Randy Rowe and Alexander Imbeault crashed the end wall to free the puck to the top of the right circle where Greg Gallagher got off a quick shot that eluded Denike to the glove side.

The Royals bagged back-to-back power play goals early in the second to take a two goal lead, 3-1. On the first one 3:11 into the period, Dave Pszenyczny sent Scott Parse on a break up the left wing side. Parse slipped behind the Johnstown defense and then slipped the puck through the legs of Nie for his fifth goal of the year. On the second-2:45 later-Jarrett won an offensive zone face-off to Vladimir Dravecky at the left point. Dravecky passed to Mike Salekin on the right side, and Salekin fired a slap shot that appeared to deflect off something on the way in, trickling through the gear of Nie for Salekin's fourth goal of the year.

Johnstown struck on a five-on-three power play 10:50 into the second period after an extended sequence of sustained offensive pressure. Mike Knight found Andrew Martens in the mid-slot, and Martens snapped one off to the glove side to draw the Chiefs within one. Johnstown tied the game at three 6:10 in the third, when a miscue at the right point in the offensive zone, allowed Martens to punch the puck free and race off on a breakaway. Martens carried deep into the offensive zone and fired high glove side for his second of the night and seventh of the season. The Chiefs got what proved to be the game winner at the 9:36 mark of the third while on the power play. Alexander Imbeault dug the puck off the end wall in the offensive zone and fed the puck into the right circle, where Knight stepped up and ripped the puck behind Denike for his seventh of the season. The Royals had their chances down the stretch, but couldn't solve Nie, as Reading's road record fell to 15-15-3.

The Royals don't play again until Friday night (March 21; 7:05 pm) when the team travels to Elmira, New York to take on the Elmira Jackals. The game night broadcast on 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.

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