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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Make Most Of Their Chances And Beat Bakersfield, 4-2

November 7, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - In an ironic twist of fate when compared with recent history, the Reading Royals (6-4-0=12, 1st North Division) were substantially outshot and outchanced by their opponent but still outscored that opponent, the Bakersfield Condors, 4-2, in front of 4035 at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals, who have been on the other side of that equation once this season-and a number of times in recent seasons past-made the most of the chances they did get and got substantial support from their goaltender, Jon Quick (5-4-0; 43/45), to pull out this win against the only National Conference foe they will face during the 2007-08 regular season.

Despite getting outshot 13-2 in the first period, the Royals took a 1-0 lead to the locker room after one due to Chris Blight's goal 6:18 into the game. In one of the team's few forays into the offensive end in the first, Bracken Kearns forced a turnover that resulted in Joe Zappala taking control fifteen feet away from of the Condor net on the left side. The unguarded Zappala patiently carried toward the net, forcing Bakersfield's goaltender, Yutaka Fukufuji (2-2-0; 14/18) to commit. Zappala then slid a pass to the right side of the net where Blight fired it into the net for his third goal of the year.

After getting bottled up in the early stages of the second, Reading broke through with a power play goal 10:54 into the period. All five skaters on the Royals' power play touched the puck as they worked it deep in the zone and to the right side of the net, where a wild scramble ensued. The puck popped out of the pack of players eight feet off the top of the crease where Patrick Jarrett ripped a high hard shot above the scrum for his first goal of the season. A minute and twenty-two seconds later, the Royals took a 3-0 lead, when Matt Stefanishion turned on the jets through the neutral zone and pushed a loose puck ahead of him, while he slipped behind the Condor defenders who attempted to slow him from behind. Stefanishion would not be slowed, however, and he kept the puck far enough in front of him as he charged towards the net to get a back-hander off at the last possible moment that went over top Fukufuji and into the net for what proved to be the game winner.

In the third, the Condors finally hit pay dirt when a defensive zone turnover gave Kevin Chwedoruk an opportunity to turn and wheel a hard wrist shot from 20 feet that beat Quick low to the stick side 5:20 into the period. Bakersfield cut the lead to one (at 3-2) with a power play goal at the 11:48 mark of the third. After a multiple shot opportunity from in tight, the puck popped off the right side of Quick and into the air, where Tim Konsorada batted the puck out of mid air for his fourth goal of the season. Despite Bakersfield's continuing pressure, the Royals built the lead back to two, when Quick fired a clearing shot from the Royals' defensive end to Zappala who was deep on the offensive side of the neutral zone. Zappala fed the puck to Blight who carried deep into Bakersfield's zone to the left side of the net, where he threw what appeared to be an intended pass that went off of someone or something and into the net for his second goal of the game and fourth of the season. The Condors didn't go away lightly, but Quick and his Royal teammates were able to fend off the Bakersfield attack through the remaining 4:49 of the game to pick up their second home win in a row.

The Royals are back in action on Friday night (7:35 pm) in Wheeling, West Virginia, where they will face the Wheeling Nailers for the first time this season. The game night radio broadcast will begin at 7:05 pm with the pre-game warm-up show on ESPN Radio 1240 am and on the internet at www.royalshockey.com. Streaming video is available on a pay per view basis through the B2 Networks.

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