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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Fall To Trenton in OT, 3-2

February 6, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Trenton, NJ - The Reading Royals (14-29-4= 32; 7th North Division) of the ECHL scored a third period power play goal to complete a comeback from a two goal deficit, but gave one up with 23.8 seconds left in overtime, as the Trenton Devils won 3-2 at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey. This game, which extended the Royals' winless streak to four games (0-2-2), is the second OTL in the last three games for Reading. James Reimer (OTL, 7-5-3; 35/38) had a bit of an uneven game, making a number of quality stops, but also allowing a couple slip through. Trenton's Gerald Coleman (win; 16-3-1; 30/32) beat the Royals for the second time this year. Reading's game tying goal in the third period was scored while the Royals were on the power play (1-6). The Royals' penalty killers kept the Trenton power play off the board in four chances with the man advantage-one which came in the overtime session.

The Devils struck 8:23 into the game when Jeff Prough fired a shot out of the left corner that slid right along the goal line and slipped through Reimer, who was attempting to pinch off the left pipe, for Prough's sixteenth of the year. 1:23 later, Trenton's Matt Cohen chipped the puck to the right half-wall in the offensive end. As the Royals' Dinos Stamoulis and Trenton's Brad Snetsinger converged on the puck, it popped off the half wall to the center of the ice just above the hash marks. Reimer made an aggressive move, diving out towards the puck in an attempt to knock the it away. However, Snetsinger arrived to the puck at almost the same time and got more of it than Reimer, batting it over the prone goaltender and into the net for his tenth of the season.

Reading broke through 17:40 into the first period, when David Nimmo settled low in the right circle. Nimmos teed it up for the blast, but partially misfired, sliding the puck across the top of the crease where Kyle Hagel had inside position. Hagel took a back-hand chop, forcing the puck through the legs of Coleman and into the net for his seventh of the season. After a scoreless second period, Rob LaLonde scored the game-tying goal 3:13 into the third period, while the Royals were on the power play. LaLonde was intending to drive the puck around the boards as he was entering the offensive zone on the left wing side. However, the puck hit a something on the boards that caused it to come back out into the left circle, while everyone's attention (including that of goaltender Coleman) was focused on the right side of the ice. LaLonde alertly stepped into the left circle and drilled the puck behind Coleman for his third of the season.

The two teams traded chances for the remainder of regulation time, but neither team broke through. In overtime, the Royals knocked off a power play chance for the Devils; but as time ticked down, a defensive zone turnover on the right half wall, gave Prough another chance with 23.8 seconds remaining. Prough fired from low in the right circle and, as Reimer tried once again to pinch off the shot at the right pipe, the puck rattled through his legs and into the net for the overtime game winner.

The Royals season long seven game road trip continues tomorrow (Saturday, February 7 @ 7:00 pm et) when the team returns to Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey, to take on the Trenton Devils. Saturday's game will be broadcast live on the Royals Radio Network Presented by Transmissions by Arbogast (True Oldies WRAW 1340 am in Reading; and The Ticket WLAN 1390 am in Lancaster), as well as on the internet via webcast hosted by Sportsjuice.com, which can be accessed through the Royals website. To become a part of Royals hockey, call 610-898-PUCK or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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