ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Knocked Off By Chiefs, 5-3

March 1, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (32-18-5=69, 2nd North Division) of the ECHL held two leads but were unable to hold off the Johnstown Chiefs, who bounced back from each of those deficits and then stifled the Royals' attempt at a comeback, as the Chiefs bagged a 5-3 win at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. For the Royals, this loss snapped a nine game unbeaten streak (7-0-2)-and a six game home unbeaten streak-dating back to February 9, 2008. Goaltender Terry Denike (5-6-2; 24/28; 1 eng) made several big stops in the third to keep the team within striking distance but suffered the loss; Ryan Nie (21-10-3; 34/37) won his twenty-first of the season-and his third win against the Royals this season.

Reading struck first 13:55 into the game on the team's first power play chance of the night. Brock Hooton battled on the right wall to get the puck to Vladimir Dravecky at the right point. Dravecky teed up a blast that was blocked by a Chief defender but went directly to P.J. Atherton at the top of the left circle. Atherton settled, fired and beat Nie high to the blocker side for his thirteenth goal of the year, which leads defensemen in the ECHL. Johnstown responded 1:21 later when Ryan Garlock threw one from a sharp angle, low along the goal line that slid under Denike and into the net for his twenty-first of the year.

The Royals took their second lead of the game 13:55 into the second on the team's second power play chance of the game. Brock Hooton took control on the right wing side and carried deep into the offensive end. He slipped a shot on goal from a sharp angle that Nie stopped but the rebound slid just above the crease, where Joe Zappala crashed and chipped the puck over Nie, who was prone along the ice, for his thirteenth goal of the year. For Zappala, that goal extended a personal goal streak to five games, and he has now scored nine goals in his last ten games with the Royals. The Chiefs quickly bounced back again-1:32 later. After a strong forecheck, the Johnstown forwards created a turnover in the Royals' defensive zone, and Alexander Imbeault ended up with the puck below the hash marks in front of the Royals' goal. Imbeault fired a snap shot high glove side that Denike got a piece of-but not enough to stop it from going in for Imbeault's sixteenth goal of the year.

The Chiefs took their first lead of the game (3-2) at the 16:59 mark of the second with a power play goal. Imbeault dug the puck out from the behind the Royals' goal and slipped a pass low at the left side of the Royals' goal where Garlock was waiting. Garlock slid a quick shot through Denike for his second goal of the night and his twenty-second of the season. From that point forward, the Royals struggled to create opportunities to climb back in-but were unable to do so, despite having several power play chances through the third period, including a long five-on-three power play in the middle of the final period.

Instead, the Chiefs added to their lead at the 18:15 mark of the third when Jean Desrochers finished on a clean two-on-none breakaway, after the Royals were caught pressing deep into the Johnstown end. Thirty-five seconds later the Royals cut the lead to one again, when Charlie Kronschnabel created a turnover in the offensive zone and Shawn Collymore took control in the left circle. Collymore cut to the middle of the ice where he fired a hard high snap shot that beat Nie to the blocker side for his fourth goal (and eighth point) in five games with the Royals. The Royals tried to get the equalizer, pulling the goaltender and going with the sixth attacker-but the Chiefs kept Reading at bay and Randy Rowe bagged an empty netter with 2.4 seconds left to ice things.

The Royals return to action tomorrow afternoon (Sunday, March 2; 5:05 pm) when the Dayton Bombers visit the Sovereign Center. The first 1000 kids twelve years of age and younger will get a Zamboni bank courtesy of CTCE Federal Credit Union.. The game night broadcast that night will begin at 4:35 pm with the pre-game warm-up show on ESPN Radio 1240 am in Ephrata, as well as on the internet through the Royals' website, www.royalshockey.com. Streaming video is available on a pay per view basis through the B2 Networks.

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics



ECHL Stories from March 1, 2008


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