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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Hold Off South Carolina for Second Win in History in Charleston, 2-1

January 24, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


North Charleston, SC - The Reading Royals (win, 24-13-1-150) of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League, defeated the South Carolina Stingrays (loss, 17-15-1-641), 2-1, at North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, South Carolina.

In the Stingrays' 'pack-the-house' night in front of 10,535 at North Charleston Coliseum, the Royals won for only the second time in the fourteen year history of the team (2-7-1-1) on South Carolina's home ice. Despite being outshot 39-18, the Royals never trailed and held on for one-goal sneaker to push the team's record to a season-best eleven games over .500 for the first time this year. Reading got goals from Andrew Johnston and Ian Watters and a boat-load of Grade-A saves from Connor Knapp to take the rubber game of the three-game season series against the Stingrays (2-1-0-0).

First Period (1-0, Reading) 15:11 (1-0, Reading) Reading Goal Johnston (5); Watters and Marcou (rebound put back after scramble in the crease) Despite getting heavily outshot (and out-chanced) in the early going, it was the Royals who struck first when Mike Marcou fired a bullet from the right point that was kicked out by the goaltender Jeff Jakaitis. The rebound, however, fell to the left side of the crease where Ian Watters kept the scramble alive long enough for Andrew Johnston to step in and punch home his fifth of the year.

Second Period (2-1, Reading) 1:24 (1-1, Tie) South Carolina Goal Blazek (1); Pimm and MacKenzie (snap shot from right circle) The Stingrays came out storming and tied the game on a delayed penalty with the goaltender pulled and the sixth attacker on the ice in the early game. Andrew Blazek carried down the right wing side, walked a Reading defender deep into the right circle and fired a snap shot that appeared to sneak under the blocker arm of goaltender Connor Knapp for his first as a pro.

10:03 (2-0, Reading) Reading Goal Watters (3); Lamarche and Hatch (multi-whack chance from the crease) Reading re-took the lead on only the team's third shot of the second period-which came half-way into the frame. Maxim Lamarche made a long charge through the neutral zone, carrying into the offensive end. He cut down the left side of the slot and forced a shot on net from in tight. Goaltender Jakaitis rejected the original bid with his right pad directly along the goal line; but Ian Watters, who was trailing the play, stepped in and stuffed it home for his third of the year.

Third Period (2-1, Reading) NO SCORING Despite outshooting the Royals 8-4 (and getting the only two power play chances of the third period), the Stingrays were unable to solve Knapp, who recorded a personal best 38 saves to pick up his team leading twelfth win of the year.

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