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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Pelted by Jackals, 8-5

March 18, 2011 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (1st Atlantic Division, 38-20-2-3=81), affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, were defeated by the Elmira Jackals (2nd Atlantic Division, 31-24-6-3=71), 8-5, at Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals fell behind early, but battled back and took a 4-3 lead early in the second after back-to-back five-on-three power play goals only to give up four third period goals and sustain the team's twentieth regulation loss of the year. Despite the loss, the Royals still clinched a playoff spot in the ECHL's Eastern Conference by virtue of losses by the Toledo Walleye and Gwinnett Gladiators.

Reading's Matt Dalton (loss, 17-11-1-0, 21/28, 1 eng) had a rough go against the top scoring team in the ECHL. Elmira's Jared DeMichiel (win, 15-10-0-1, 21/26) registered his first win since being traded to Elmira on March 10. Four of Reading's five goals were scored while playing with the man advantage (4-8)-two of which came while playing with a two-skater advantage. But Reading also gave up a five-on-three short-handed goal against, which tied the game at four late in the second. The Jackals bagged three power play goals of their own (3-4).

Elmira struck 5:57 into the game while playing on their first power play chance of the night when Oren Eizenman slipped one through from the low slot, while Dalton was bumped out of position by contact in the cease. Eizenman gave the Jackals a two-goal lead 10:54 into the first when he blew around a Reading defender on the right wing side and chipped a back-hand across the body of Dalton and off the left pipe and in for his seventh of the year. Reading broke through with the team's first power play goal of the night 13:07 into the first when Ryan Cruthers forced a shot from the low slot that DeMichiel kicked out. The rebound slid to Yannick Riendeau who punched it back through for his thirteenth of the year. On that goal, Ben Gordon registered an assist-his 140th point as a Royal-making him the team's all-time leading scorer.

Fifty-six seconds later Justin Donati carried into the offensive zone deep into the right circle, where he fired a behind-the-back, no look back-hand pass into the right circle, where Yannick Tifu stepped in and ripped one low stick side on Dalton for his twenty-third of the year. Forty-nine seconds after that the Royals cut the Jackals' lead to 3-2 on a disputed goal. Ben Gordon fired a back-hand from the mid-slot that appeared to hit the back of the net and ricochet quickly out. At least that's the way the referee saw it and awarded Gordon his twenty-third goal of the year. Reading tied the game at three with forty-nine seconds left in the first on a five-on-three power play goal by Andrew Sarauer. Chris Blight sent a perfect cross-crease pass to Sarauer who was planted low on the right side for his nineteenth of the year.

Sarauer scored his second five-on-three power play goal of the game fifty-five seconds into the second, when he put back the rebound of a Rob Kwiet shot. Late in the second, while the Royals were playing with yet another five-on-three power play, Gordon coughed one up at the right point, and Yannick Tifu took off on a short-handed breakaway. Tifu didn't waste the chance, scoring his league leading fifth short-handed goal of the year to tie the game at four with just 1:29 left in the second.

Elmira regained the lead 1:13 into the third, five seconds after the Jackals were awarded a power play chance. Justin Donati teed one up wide in the right circle and uncorked a bullet high short-side on Dalton for his twenty-sixth of the year to make it 5-4, Elmira. Reading tied the game again with the hattrick goal of the game by Andrew Sarauer, which once again came while the Royals were playing with the man advantage 8:47 into the third. Forty-five seconds later, however, Donati once again broke through to give the Jackals a lead that they would not again relinquish. Donati worked the cycle out of the right corner, found a seam coming down the gut, took a feed from Ryan Hillier, and drilled a low, hard snap shot by Dalton for his twenty-sixth of the season. A careless defensive zone turnover with 2:36 left in regulation created a multi-shot chance at the top of the Royals' crease for the Jackals, and Dale Mahovsky ultimately punched it through for his fourth of the season. Tifu added his hattrick goal into an empty net with twenty-six seconds left in regulation to ice the game; but by that time, the damage had been done as the Royals fell to 3-3-0-0 with one game to go in the season-long seven game home stand.

The Royals and Jackals play again tomorrow (Saturday, March 19 @ 7:05 pm) at the Sovereign Center. The Royals will celebrate American Cancer Society Night and will raise funds for the Relay for Life with a post-game shoot presented by Sweet Street Desserts. The Royals game day broadcast will kick off with the pre-game warm-up show presented by The Works at Wyomissing on the Royals Broadcast Network (WRAW 1340 am in Reading, www.1340wraw.com) at 6:35 pm. You can also catch all of the Royals away games this season on Royals TV exclusively on BCTV courtesy of Boscov's Travel, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Season tickets for the Royals' 2010-11 season are currently available. To become a part of Royals hockey, call 610-898-PUCK or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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