ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Knock Off Cyclones, 5-3

November 16, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (5-9-0 = 10; 6th North Division) of the ECHL used an energized and physical attack to fuel a come from behind win over the defending Kelly Cup Champion Cincinnati Cyclones at the Sovereign Center in Reading, 5-3. An early goal against put the Royals in a hole, but the team bounced back, turning to a relentless second period attack to run off three straight goals, which held up for the win. Goaltender Danny Taylor (win, 3-8-0; 37/40) made a number of clutch stops down the stretch to preserve the win; while Cincinnati's Kyle Gajewski (loss, 3-5-2; 29/33, 1 eng) sustained the loss. The Royals broke a string of five consecutive games without a power play goal, going one for five with the man advantage; while the Cyclones were one for seven on the power play.

Cincinnati struck 5:01 into the game, when the Cyclones' Olivier Latendresse picked off an attempted chip from the defensive zone at the Royals' blue line and slipped behind Reading's defenders to beat Taylor with a high chip shot. For Latendresse, the unassisted goal was his eleventh of the year-six of which have come in four games against the Royals. Reading tied the game at the 12:29 mark of the first with a power play goal from Dan Rudisuela. Luciano Aquino, playing in his second game for the Royals, took possession in the right circle and navigated through the Cyclone traffic before dishing to Rudisuela in the high slot. Rudisuela settled and fired a wrist shot that beat Gajewski to the stick side for his fifth goal of the year. Cincinnati bounced back with a power play goal of the their own 1:29 later. Defenseman Steve Makway took a shot from the right point that was partially blocked by a Royals' forward, but it bounced directly to Thomas Beauregard at the left side of the net. Taylor rejected Beauregard's attempt to jam the puck in; but Matt Syroczynski corralled the rebound and fired it home for his eighth goal of the year.

The Royals turned it up and turned it on in the second period, utilizing a hard-hitting approach to take control of the game's tempo. This style paid off 7:03 into the period, when Brock Hooton fired a shot from just inside the blue line that slipped between the legs of Gajewski and across the goal line for his fourth goal of the year, tying the game at two. Reading took the lead for good 13:42 into the second, when Hooton won an offensive zone face-off towards the slot area, where Kirk MacDonald took control and fired a shot that hit a wall of Cincinnati defenders. MacDonald got his own rebound, however, and ripped the puck into the right side of the net for his fourth of the year. The Royals stretched the lead to 4-2, when Matt Herneisen (who had been robbed by Gajewski on a couple of golden chances earlier in the period) threw the puck from the right corner, which Gajewski attempted to intercept in the crease. Instead, the puck hit the paddle of the goaltender's stick, which was flat on the ice, and slid between Gajewski's legs for Herneisen's fourth of the year.

In the third, the Royals shifted gears again into a solid, simple and steady style intended to protect the two goal lead. The strategy paid off until the 17:27 mark of the third, when Beauregard finished after a multi-shot rebound opportunity from in tight on Taylor for his ninth of the year, making it 4-3, Reading. Cincinnati pressed in the waning moments, but Taylor made several spectacular stops to preserve the win; while Mac Faulkner bagged an empty netter to ice the victory with just 10 seconds left.

The Royals are off until Friday (November 21) when the team travels to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, to take on the Chiefs at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena (7:05 pm). The Royals return to the Sovereign Center next Saturday (November 22, @ 7:05 pm) when the Elmira Jackals travel to Reading. Next Friday and Saturday's games 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 through the Royals website. To become a part of Royals hockey, call 610-898-PUCK or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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ECHL Stories from November 16, 2008


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