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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Get First Win of the Year In Trenton, 3-2

December 12, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Trenton, NJ - The Reading Royals (15-8-1=31, 3rd North Division) of the ECHL won for the first time in three tries at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey, defeating the Trenton Devils, 3-2. Charlie Kronschnabel bagged his first pro game winner with just 1:39 remaining to extend the Royals win streak to six games. Royals' goaltender Terry Denike (4-2-0; 35/37) won his third game in as many starts for the Royals, while Devils' goaltender Dave Caruso (6-7-0; 23/26) suffered his second consecutive defeat to the Royals after starting the season with three straight wins over Reading.

The Royals struck first with a power play goal 1:50 into the game when defenseman Mike Salekin passed from the right point to Dany Roussin deep on the right wing side. Roussin, in turn, found Ned Lukacevic loose in the right circle. Lukacevic skated towards the center of the ice and ripped a snap shot high blocker side on Caruso for his eighth goal of the season. It took only 16 seconds for the Devils to respond. After the face-off to restart play, Mark Pandolfo charged hard down the left wing side, slipped behind a Reading defender and drilled a laser high glove side on Denike for his fourth goal of the season. Trenton took their only lead of the game at the 15:55 mark of the first after the Royals were unable to break from the defensive zone due to the relentless forecheck pressure of the Devils' Eric Castonguay. Defenseman Matt Cohen eventually kept right point and got the puck to Castonguay, who walked right down the gut and drilled a snap shot behind Denike to make it 2-1, Trenton. The Royals responded late in the first, however when a loose puck in the Trenton defensive zone appeared to be headed out of the zone, and Lukacevic was able to keep it alive by simple hard work and extra effort, tracking it down just before it crossed over the blue line. Lukacevic then turned and wheeled the puck to the top of the crease where Roussin settled and dished to Malcolm MacMillan at the right side of the goal. MacMillan took control and returned the favor to Roussin who had slipped to the left side of the crease for the tap in with 1:12 remaining in the first. For Roussin, it was his fifth goal of the year-and his fourth in his last five games.

The teams kept the 2-2 tie in tact for the entire second period and through most of the third, despite a number of scoring chances at both ends of the ice. With time ticking down, however, the Royals scored what proved to be the game winner. After the Royals gained possession in the offensive zone, defensemen Patrik Hersley rifled a shot from the top of the right circle that Caruso stopped with his leg pads, which kicked the rebound to the top of the crease. Roussin took a whack at the loose puck, but Caruso stopped his attempt, as well, but found himself out of position to stop the third shot as Kronschnabel fired it home for his third goal of the season with just 1:39 remaining in regulation. The Royals were able to close it out, despite a couple of anxious moments down the stretch, to run their season record to 2-2-1 against the Devils.

The Royals return to action on Friday at First Arena in Elmira, New York, when they take on the first place Elmira Jackals. Game time is 7:35 pm, and 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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ECHL Stories from December 12, 2007


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