ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Hold On For Dramatic Win Over Chiefs, 4-3

April 7, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Johnstown, PA - The Reading Royals (32 - 32 - 7 = 71; 5th North Division) came through in a 'win-or-get-knocked-out' game by building a 4-1 lead with a three goal second period and holding off a late game charge by the Johnstown Chiefs for a 4-3 win. With the Royals' win, the fifth and final playoff spot in the North Division will now go to team that wins the final regular season game for the Royals and Chiefs when they face one-another at the Sovereign Center in Reading on Saturday night. Yutaka Fukufuji (13 - 9 - 0; 19/22) picked up his second consecutive pressure-packed 'must-win' for Reading.

Reading struck first 1:56 into the hockey game when Eric Werner sprang Brett Smith with a pass out of the defensive zone. Smith in turn made a deft touch pass to the breaking Joe Zappala, who carried hard down the right wing side into the Johnstown zone and cut to the net for a one-handed backhander that goaltender Morgan Cey (20 - 19 - 5; 28/32) stopped. The rebound, however, dropped to the top of the crease, where Greg Hogeboom tapped it in for his thirtieth goal of the season. The Chiefs tied the game 26 seconds into their first power play chance at the 16:53 mark of the first period. Johnstown's Dmitri Tarabrin and Maxime Boisclair created substantial pressure down low around the Royals' goal, but the puck popped out low into the right circle, where Gus Katsuras drilled a snap shot behind Fukufuji for his eleventh goal of the year.

In the second, the Royals regained the lead with a power play goal 5:49 into the period. Hogeboom took control on the left side in Johnstown's offensive end and fed Werner at the left point. Werner then fired a diagonal feed to the top of the right circle where Jason Becker was planted and waiting for the one-timer, which he ripped high and hard behind Cey. The Royals then picked up back-to-back transition rush goals from Shawn Collymore separated by only 2:59. On the first, the rush involved Zappala, Hogeboom and Collymore and resulted in a golden chance on the back-door for Collymore on a cross-crease pass from Hogeboom. However, Cey made a brilliant pipe-to-pipe sprawling stop on Collymore's original shot; but much to Collymore's credit, he stayed with the puck and was able to put back the rebound for his fifteenth goal of the season at the 10:31 mark. On Collymore's second goal, the rush was finished on a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play deep in the Royals' offensive zone between Chris Bala, Kevin Saurette and Collymore.

In the third, Johnstown cut the Royals' lead back to 4-2 when Brian Nathe sprang Marek Kvapil with a long stretch pass out of the defensive zone. Kvapil did a brilliant job of receiving the pass while skating backwards at the offensive blue line, smoothly pivoting, and slipping behind the Royals' defense for the breakaway goal-his third of the season-at the 10:13 mark of the third. Johnstown pulled Cey with 2:33 remaining in the third and created a series of scoring opportunities with the extra skater, which resulted in Reading taking back-to-back penalties in and around the team's net. The Chiefs capitalized on the ensuing six-on-three power play, when-after another mad scramble-P.J. Atherton stepped into the left circle and uncorked a rocket that blew by Fukufuji making it 4-3 with 1:06 remaining. Johnstown continued to press; but were unable to tie the game, despite a couple of open looks in and around the goal in the waning moments.

The final playoff spot in the North Division will be earned by the winner of the Royals' match-up against the Chiefs on Saturday night (7:05 pm) at the Sovereign Center in Reading. Royals' game night broadcasts can be heard live on ESPN Radio 1240 am (and on the internet through the Royals' website, www.royalshockey.com, beginning thirty minutes before the opening face-off. Streaming video is also available for $6.00 per game through the B2 Networks, which can be accessed through the Royals' website.

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