ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Knock Off Steelheads, 5-4

January 11, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Boise, Idaho - The Reading Royals (11-25-2= 24; 7th North Division) of the ECHL completed a four game western swing with a dramatic 5-4 win over the Idaho Steelheads at Qwest Arena in Boise, Idaho. The Royals battled back from a first period deficit, broke a 4-4 third period tie with a goal by Chris Stevens, and held on down the stretch to win the 'rubber game' of the three games played this season against the Steelheads. Goaltender James Reimer (win, 6-4-1; 31/35) made several critical stops at clutch moments to preserve the one goal deficit; while Matt Climie (loss, 12-7-1; 20/25) suffered his second loss of the season to Reading. The Royals bagged a pair of power play goals on the night (2-9). Idaho scored one power play goal in six opportunities with the man advantage.

For the second game in a row, Idaho's Garrett Bembridge scored the game's first goal 4:20 after the opening face-off. Defenseman Kory Scoran fired from the left point, and Reimer responded with a pad stop; but Bembridge was right on the doorstep to put back his eighth of the year. Reading bounced back with a power play goal by Tim Branham 11:29 into the first. Branham ripped a shot from the high slot that hit the right pipe, which then ricocheted off Climie's back and into the net for his second of the year. Idaho regained the one goal lead 17:12 into the first, when Mike McKnight tried to jam one in at the side of the net, and Tyler Shelast crashed to forced the loose puck into the Royals' goal for his third of the season.

Reading tied the game at the 2:32 mark of the second period, when Tyler Doig scored on the back-end of a five-on-three power play (while a delayed penalty call was on for yet another penalty against Idaho). Branham made an excellent play to keep the puck at right point and found Steve Ward at the top of the left circle. Climie stopped Ward's hard shot, but the rebound fell to the right side of the crease, where Doig slipped it in for his ninth of the year. The Royals took their first lead of the game at the 4:36 mark of the second just after the third consecutive power play for Reading had expired. Kirk MacDonald slid a beautiful diagonal pass from low on the left side to Gerard Miller who had stepped up from the right point to take a quick one-time snap shot that beat Climie high to the glove side for Miller's first of the season.

Idaho bounced back to tie the game at three with their only power play goal of the night 7:07 into the second period. Again, Scoran ripped a blast from left point, and (again) Shelast re-directed the puck behind Reimer for his second of the night. The Royals re-gained the one goal advantage (4-3) 17:15 into the second on a break which was created when MacDonald sped through the neutral zone and passed to himself off the right wing wall in order to slip by an Idaho defender. MacDonald then passed from deep on the right wing side to the left side of the crease, where a hard-charging Stevens re-directed the puck home for his sixth of the year. Twenty-four seconds later, however, the Steelheads re-tied the game (at four) when Ben Nelson ripped a rocket from the mid-slot that beat Reimer high to the blocker side to rack up his seventeenth goal of the year.

Reading got what proved to be the game winner on a turnover in Idaho's zone created when Brock Hooton and Kirk MacDonald pressed hard on the fore-check. MacDonald ended up with the puck low in the left circle and quickly fed to Stevens who was breaking across the top of the crease. Stevens slipped it under Climie for his first game winner as a Royal. The Steelheads pressed hard down the stretch, which included a couple of late game power plays; but Reimer and the Royals proved up to the task, preserving the win and a split (2-2) on the four road swing against National Conference opponents.

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The Royals are off until next Friday night (January 17 @ 7:05 et) when the Wheeling Nailers visit the Sovereign Center in Reading for the first time this season. Next Friday's game 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 via webcast hosted by Sportsjuice.com, which can be accessed through the Royals website. To become a part of Royals hockey, call 610-898-PUCK or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics



ECHL Stories from January 11, 2009


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