ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Hold Off Devils, 4-2

January 17, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, Pennsylvania - For the second night in a row, the Reading Royals (13-25-2= 28; 7th North Division) of the ECHL fell behind early but battled back with three second period goals to beat the Trenton Devils, 4-2, at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. This win marked the first time this season that the Royals have won three consecutive games in regulation time. Michael Ouzas (win, 13-9-1; 28/30) made a number of big stops down the stretch to keep the Devils at bay-particularly in several late game power plays. Charlie Effinger (loss, 5-8-1; 19/23) sustained his first loss in three starts against the Royals this season. For the first time this season (in six games played), the Royals power play scored against the Trenton penalty kill (2-6); while the Devils scored the first goal of the game while playing with the power play (1-8) but were not able to convert in 2:13 worth of five-on-three in three separate chances during the game.

Trenton struck first 5:22 into the game in their first power play chance of the night. Eric Castonguay found Matt Cohen in the mid-slot, and Cohen fired a snap shot that beat Ouzas to the stick side for his seventh of the season. The Royals tied the game 13:48 into the first period on the team's second chance with the man advantage. Tim Branham, who would end up with three assists on the night, made a great play and pass to keep the puck alive in the offensive end, as he found Steve Ward on the left point. Ward stepped up and threw a knuckling wrister from just above the top of the left circle that beat Effinger high to the glove side for Ward's fifth of the year. That goal also extended Ward's personal point streak to ten games (4g-7a=11pts).

Reading took the team's first lead of the night 7:31 into the second period with another power play goal. On this one, Ward fired a brilliant cross-ice feed out of the left circle to Peder Skinner, who was planted in the right circle wide open and all alone. Skinner snapped a quick one-timer that beat Effinger for his seventh of the season. The Royals got what proved to be the game winner at the 15:40 mark of the second, after an extended and relentless fore-check that ended when Tyler Doig took control below the goal line to the right side of the Devils' goal. Doig threw the puck to net, where it pin-balled off Effinger and into the net for his tenth of the year. Fifty-eight seconds later Kirk MacDonald racked up his second short-handed goal of the season, when he skated into the offensive end a ripped a high and hard snap shot from just inside the blue line that beat Effinger in the perfect spot-high in the left side of the net for his thirteenth of the year.

The Devils made a game of it 2:27 into the third (4-2) when Thomas Harrison bagged his second of the year on a put-back rebound after a shot off the left wall by David Leaderer. Trenton pressed down the stretch and had a golden opportunity to get back into the game with a late (and long) five-on-three power play; but Reading's penalty kill held up under the late game barrage to win for the sixth time at the Sovereign Center this year.

The Royals take on the Elmira Jackals on Monday (January 19 @ 11:05 am et) when the Elmira Jackals visit the Sovereign Center. Monday'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.

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics



ECHL Stories from January 17, 2009


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