ECHL Reading Royals

Royals' Hopes For Top Slot In North Fall In Loss To Dayton, 5-4

Published on April 7, 2006 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Dayton, OH-The Reading Royals (42-23-7=91) fell behind 53 seconds into the game and trailed by as many as four goals, but did not quit in front of a sell-out crowd at the Sovereign Center crowd, clawing back to make it a one-goal game in the third before losing to the Dayton Bombers, 5-4. With this loss, the Royals were knocked out of the battle for the top slot in the North Division and will meet either the Wheeling Nailers or the Toledo Storm in the first round of the playoffs depending on how tomorrow night's finale comes out.

Dayton struck 53 seconds into the hockey game when the Bombers' Paul Kelly won an offensive zone face-off to A.J. MacLean whose quick shot went off the body of a Royals' defender and fluttered over the right pad of goaltender Cody Rudkowsky (24-10-3, 19/24) into the net. Reading responded 2:29 later with a power play goal by Chris Bala. Leon Hayward, playing in his first game for the Royals since being acquired in a trade on March 15, made a no-look pass out of the left circle to Corey LeClair, who was planted at the right wing point. LeClair then fired a pass to the top of the crease where Bala was able to re-direct the puck behind Dayton goaltender, Mike Brown, to tie things at one. The Bombers, however, regained the lead with a power play goal of their own at the 12:13 mark of the first when Nick Harloff took a shot from the high slot that may have deflected off one of the Royals' into the net to make it 2-1, Dayton. Dayton banked in another one off a Royal at the 16:38 mark of the first, when McLean fired one off the top of the left circle that hit a body and went into the Reading goal to make it 3-1, Dayton.

The Bombers went up 4-1 when the Royals were caught up ice and Dayton broke into the Reading end on a two-on-one rush. Christoff Rosenberg carried the puck down the left wing side and fed to Tim Konsorada who floated down the slot and ripped one behind Rudkowsky at the 5:41 mark of the second. Dayton took a four goal lead at the 10:19 mark of the second when defenseman Alex Johnstone fired one from the left point that (again) went off the stick of a Royals' player and floated over top of Rudkowksy and into the net to make it 5-1, Dayton. The Royals then kicked in the comeback attempt, beginning with the first pro goal by newcomer Jamie Chamberlain who was able to force one home from in tight at the 13:03 mark of the second period. Reading cut the lead to two goals with 1:07 remaining in the second when Chamberlain bagged his second of the night as he floated into the slot and ripped one behind Brown to make it 5-3, Dayton. In the third, the Royals scored 1:02 into the period on power play goal by Larry Courville-his twelfth of the season (and his ninth in his last eleven games). Courville finished in tight after a nice tic-tac-toe passing play involving Eric Werner, Chris Bala, Leon Hayward, and finally Courville who jammed it behind Brown. But that would be all the Royals could muster in this one despite pounding the late game pressure on the Bombers, who racked up their second consecutive win over Reading.

The Royals finish the regular season tomorrow night at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey, when they take on the defending Kelly Cup Champion Trenton Titans at 7:00 pm. Royals' game day broadcasts can be heard on ESPN Radio 1240 am in Ephrata and on the internet at www.royalshockey.com with pre-game beginning 30 minutes before the opening face-off. Streaming video is also available through the Royals' website on a pay per view basis provided by B2 Networks.

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