ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Knocked Off By Devils, 3-1

December 19, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Trenton, NJ - The Reading Royals (8-20-1= 17; 7th North Division) of the ECHL were defeated by the Trenton Devils, 3-1, at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey. This marked the third consecutive loss for the Royals, who were held to one goal for the second consecutive game and have now been held to one goal (or less) seven times this season-including the last three consecutive match-ups against the Devils. Goaltender Danny Taylor (3-16-1; 32/35) sustained his eighth consecutive loss; while Trenton's Charlie Effinger (5-5-1; 23/24) beat the Royals for the second time this year. The Royals failed to score in six chances on the power play-including 1:22 worth of five-on-three in the second period; the Devils went one for six with the man advantage.

Trenton struck first on their first power play chance of the night. Defenseman Matt Cohen carried from the left point down deep into the Royals' defensive zone on the left wing side. Cohen then slid a pass to the top of the crease, where a crashing Jim Henkel forced the puck in for his fifth goal of the season 4:25 into the game. The Devils took a 2-0 lead 10:57 into the second period after Reading created a mad scramble around the Trenton net. Reading was unable to convert, and the Devils' Henkel took control and hit Eric Castonguay with a long break-out pass. Castonguay carried deep into the left circle and ripped a snap shot across the body of Taylor into the upper right corner for his sixth of the year.

Reading bounced back about a minute-and-a-half later, when Chris Stevens took control at the left side of the Devils' goal and slid the puck to the top of the crease, where a crashing David Nimmo got two whacks at it; and, on the second effort, chipped the puck over Effinger for this third of the year. Trenton got what proved to be the final goal of the game with 1:30 left in the second, after the Royals failed to clear the defensive zone. Cohen settled at the right point and carried to the top of the right circle, where he fired a low, hard shot that Taylor stopped with his pads. The rebound, however, bounced in front of Taylor, and Tyler Burton was able to punch it back through for his tenth of the year. The third period wasn't much to write home to mom about-as the Royals mustered only seven shots in the final twenty minutes and ended up losing the team's twentieth game of the season.

Reading and Trenton go at it again tomorrow night (December 20, 2008 @ 7:00 pm) at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey. Saturday'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 December 19, 2008


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