ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Keep Pace with Shootout Win Over Trenton, 3-2

Published on March 23, 2012 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (32-28-3-471, 3rd Atlantic Division), affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, defeated the Trenton Titans (21-37-3-651, 4th Atlantic Division), 3-2, in a shootout at Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The victory kept the Royals within two points in the standings of the Cincinnati Cyclones, who are holding the eighth and final playoff spot in the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Royals fell behind in the first period, but were able to pull out the critical victory in the team's nineteenth come-back win of the season.

Reading's Mark Owuya (win, 13-5-1-2, 24/26 in 65:00, 3/4 in shootout) made several big saves including a brilliant glove stop on a short-handed breakaway mid-way into the third to help the Royals get to the shootout-where he ran his record to 2-1 in the skills competition. Trenton's Brad Phillips (sol, 8-13-0-2, 28/30 in 65:00, 1/4 in shootout) lost his second shootout of the year to Reading (2-4-0-2). Reading's power play was blanked for the seventh time in the last nine games (0-3). Trenton's first goal came while playing with the man advantage (1-3).

Trenton struck on their second power play chance of the night 16:47 into the first, when Andy Bombach got free in the high slot for a clean look. Owuya rejected Bombach's bid with the left pad but the rebound fell to the right side of the crease, where Adam Prezniuk punched it home for his twelfth of the year.

Reading tied the game 8:39 into the second, when Casey Haines carried deep down the right wing side and slid a back-hand pass to the top of the crease, where a hard-charging Ian O'Connor got enough of the puck to redirect it behind Phillips for his first as a Royal (since being acquired on March 6 from the Stockton Thunder) and sixteenth of the season.

1:05 after that, the Royals took their first lead of the night, when Yannick Tifu gained possession behind the Trenton net and fed a back-hand saucer to the mid-slot where Matt Caruana settled and fired for his eighth of the year.

2:12 after that, Trenton tied the game at two, when defenseman Derrick Pallis shot from the left point. The puck appeared to hit a Reading defender and fell to the left side of the Royals' net, where Chris Poli got enough of the puck to force it just inside the left pipe-and just across the goal line-for his third of the year.

After a scoreless third, during which Owuya made a game saving stop on the short-handed breakaway by Steve Silva 11:14 in, the game went to overtime, where neither team could break through. In the shootout, the Royals shot first and took a first-round lead when Yannick Riendeau bagged the opening salvo. The Royals also got shootout goals from Yannick Tifu and Matt Caruana, while only Ray DiLauro was able to break through for the Titans. The win pushed the Royals record to a season high four games over .500 for the second time this season.

The Royals and Titans go at it again tomorrow (Saturday, March 24, 2012 @ 7:00 pm) at Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, New Jersey. Saturday's game night broadcast will start at 3:35 pm with the Red Robin Gourmet Burger Pre-Game Warm-up Show on ESPN Radio 1240 am in Reading. Streaming audio is available free of charge courtesy of America One through the Royals' website, www.royalshockey.com. As with all Royals' road games this season, Saturday's game will be televised locally in Berks County on BCTV courtesy of Boscov's Travel and the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

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