ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Gouged By Gladiators, 4-1

Published on January 27, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (22-17-1-348, 1st East Division), affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, were defeated by the Gwinnett Gladiators (19-17-3-243, 4th South Division), 4-1, at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Gladiators scored an early power play goal and never looked back, pulling away from the Royals, who sustained their third consecutive regulation loss for the first time this season. Goaltender Matt Dalton (13-12-0-2; 31/35) played in his twelfth consecutive game for the Royals, but sustained his third straight loss; while the Gladiator's Danny Taylor (Win; 10-8-1-2; 38/39), who played in Reading for parts of the past two seasons, won in his first career outing against the Royals. The Royals power play was held off the board for the fourth time in the last seven games (0-4). Gwinnett scored on their first chance with the man advantage early in the first (1-3).

The Gladiators scored 2:43 into the game while on the power play. Jason Lawrence slipped a perfect pass out of the right circle to Chris Higgins, who set up on the back door on the left side. Dalton got a chunk of Higgins' one-timer with the left pad, but not enough to keep it out, as the puck broke through for Higgins' sixth of the year. Gwinnett got what proved to be the game winner 16:41 into the first, when the Royals took possession in the defensive end, but failed to clear the zone. Michael Forney kept the puck at the right point, and then fired a tape-to-tape pass to Matt Francis who was planted wide open and all alone between the hash-marks. Francis settled and drilled a hard snap shot behind Dalton for this sixth of the year.

The Gladiators stretched their lead to 3-0 1:34 into the second, when Matt Siddall stepped out of the penalty box and took possession of a puck that slipped through Rob LaLonde, who attempted to hold right point on the Royals' power play. Siddall took possession and took off on a clear cut breakaway, charging hard into the offensive end, backing Dalton down, and firing high glove side for his fourteenth of the year. Reading got on the board 6:12 into the second, when Matt Marquardt powered his way to the right side of the Gwinnett net. As Marquardt and a Gwinnett defender fell to the ice in front of the goal, Marquardt was able to slide the puck towards the net, just as the crashing bodies ran into Taylor preventing him from keeping the puck above the goal line. Despite the protestations of Gwinnett, the goal was allowed, giving Marquardt his first of the season. Gwinnett bounced back, however, with another breakaway goal that came directly at the conclusion of another Royals' power play. On this one, Scott Misfud, who had just entered the ice after serving a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, took control and fed Tim Miller, who broke deep into the Royals' zone on the left wing side. Miller got Dalton to commit to the short side and fired a hard snap shot across Dalton's body to the far side for his fifth of the season.

Despite getting 33 shots over the final forty minutes-fifteen in the third period-the Royals were unable to break through Taylor and the Gwinnett defense down the stretch, as Reading dropped to 11-8-0-2 through 21 home games this season.

The Royals are off until Saturday night (January 30, 2010 @ 7:05 pm) when the Charlotte Checkers visit the Sovereign Center for the first time this season. The first 1500 fans 21 years of age and older that night will receive a Royals' beer mug courtesy of Coors Light. The Royals game night broadcast on the Royals Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast will kick off with the pre-game warm-up show at 6:35 pm.

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