ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Get Strike Three On Nailers, 6-3

December 8, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (14-8-1=29, 3rd North Division) of the ECHL defeated the Wheeling Nailers for the third time in six days, 6-3, at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania, to extend the Royals win streak to five games. After a scoreless first period and see-saw second in which both teams scored three goals, the Royals pulled away with three third period goals, stretching the team's home unbeaten streak to eight games (7-0-1). Royals' goaltender Terry Denike (3-2-0; 29/32) won his second game in two starts for Reading, while Martin Houle (2-4-1; 26/32) became the third different Wheeling goaltender that the Royals defeated since Sunday.

The Royals broke the scoreless tie at the 1:31 mark of the second period, when defenseman Mike Salekin stretched the ice with long pass to Brett Hemingway, while the Nailers were in the process of changing lines. Hemingway, who had a lane to the net, carried the puck into the right circle where he ripped a snap shot behind Houle for his seventh goal of the season (and his third in six games with Reading). The Nailers bounced back to tie 1:29 later, when a defensive zone lapse by Reading resulted in Kevin Croxton taking possession in the right corner and feeding Ned Havern in the mid slot. The unguarded Havern carried to the net, deked Denike and drilled a back-hand under the bar for his eighth of the season. The Nailers took their only lead of the game at the 7:49 mark of the second when they won an offensive zone face-off, creating a clear, point blank chance from the interior portion of the right circle for Chris Snavely, who drilled the puck home for his second of the year. 2:03 later, it was the Royals' turn to bounce back-this time with a five-on-three power play goal by Patrik Hersley, who ended up with a goal and three assists on the night. After winning an offensive zone face-off, the Royals worked the puck around the perimeter to Hersley at the top of the left circle, where he uncorked a one-time rocket behind Houle for his first goal as a pro. Reading regained the lead at 3-2 at the 16:55 mark of the second with the team's seventh short-handed goal of the year. Hersley kicked a loose puck in the defensive zone to P.J. Atherton, who fed a breaking Chris Blight up the left wing side. Blight carried wide into the left circle where he took a hard snap shot that beat Houle for his thirteenth goal of the year. 2:14 after that, the Nailers re-tied the game at three with a power play goal of their own. Jon Foster took control on the left wall and threaded a perfect back-door feed to Kyle Rank, who was planted at the right side of the net for his fifth goal of the year.

The Royals got what proved to be the game winner twenty-nine seconds into the third period, when Hersley threw a wrist shot towards the Wheeling goal that appeared to strike the shaft of Blight's stick, causing it to flutter over Houle and into the net to make it 4-3 Reading. For Blight, that was his team leading fourteenth goal, his third game winner, and his fourth multi-goal game of the season for the Royals. Reading got some insurance at the 9:28 mark of the third when Ned Lukacevic took control in the right corner, peeled off the wall and exploded with a power move to the top of the crease, where he fired a low wrist shot to the far side, beating Houle for his seventh goal of the year to make it 5-3, Reading. The Royals added a second power play goal at the 13:08 mark of the third when Hersley threw a wrister to the right side of the crease, where Bracken Kearns re-directed the puck behind Houle for his fifth of the season. The Royals closed out the remaining 6:52 to pick up their fourteenth win of the season and to keep the team's record unblemished when scoring three or more goals (13-0-0).

The Royals are off until Wednesday night (December 12, 2007) when the team will take on the Trenton Devils at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey. Game time is 7:00 pm, and the game night broadcast on Wednesday will begin at 6:30 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 December 8, 2007


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