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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Hold Off Another Third Period Charge To Beat The Bombers, 5-3

November 6, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Dayton, OH - For the fourth time in five games this season, the Reading Royals (4-0-1=9) were outscored in the third period, but were still able to hold on for the win-this time by a 5-3 margin over the Dayton Bombers at the E.J. Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. The Royals built a four goal lead, scoring twice in each of the first two periods, but Dayton turned it on in the early stages of the third, scoring three times in a span of 2:26. Reading was able to regroup and score a power play goal late in the period to create some breathing room down the stretch and capture the team's third consecutive win.

The scoring started at the 7:28 mark of the first period, when Jon Francisco foiled a Bombers breakout at the offensive blue line. Reading's Doug Christiansen was able to corral the puck on the left wing side, break into the offensive zone, carry it into the left circle and ripped a snap shot high glove side on Dayton goaltender, Mike Ayers. That line produced again when Francisco and Greg Hogeboom battled low in the left wing corner in the offensive end for Reading. Francisco was able to walk out of the corner into the left circle and fire another one high glove side at the 13:32 mark of the first.

The Royals took a 3-0 lead at the 4:32 mark of the second when the Francisco, Christiansen and Hogeboom line struck again. Hogeboom worked the forecheck in the offensive end to free the puck and pass it to Francisco, who found Christiansen in the high slot. Christiansen turned and wheeled a shot through traffic that slipped behind Ayers. At the 9:30 mark of the second, the Royals scored their first power play goal in the team's last thirteen opportunities with the man advantage, when Mike Kompon won a faceoff in the offensive end. Grant Jacobsen took a feed from Rich Peverley and carried it down low on the left wing side where he gave it back to Kompon, who walked out to the front of the net and slipped it through Ayers for the 4-0 lead.

In the third, Dayton found their legs and pounded the pressure on the Royals. The Bomber scoring started at the 2:17 mark of the third, when Kyle Musselman ripped a hard snap shot from the slot that beat Royals' goaltender, Cody Rudkowsky (3-0-0), high glove side. 1:28 later Dayton capitalized on the power play when they crashed the net and Scott Cameron was able to force it through to make it 4-2. 58 seconds later, Tim Konsorada made it a one goal game when he fired one from the right circle that snuck through on the short side.

But the Royals were able to regain their composure and capitalized on the power play with 5:18 remaining. John Morlang found Kompon low at the left side of the Bombers net. Kompon showed patience with puck, and, as he moved towards the net, he drew the defense down and found Eric Werner on the back door to put some cushion back in the lead at 5-3. Dayton had a late power play and pulled the goaltender to get a 6 on 4 skater advantage, but the Bombers were unable to capitalize before time ran out.

The Royals take on the Toledo Storm for the first time this season at the Toledo Sports Arena in a Sunday afternoon matinee to complete the "three-in-three" road trip. Game time is 3:05 p.m. and can be heard on ESPN Radio 1240 am and on the internet at www.royalshockey.com with pre-game beginning thirty minutes before game time.

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