ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Perfect this Week, Move into First Place in North

December 15, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


The Reading Royals ended a perfect week at 3-0-0 and moved into a first place tie with the Wheeling Nailers in the Northern Division. Reading knocked off Dayton on Friday night in Dayton scoring a season high eight goals. Saturday night, the Royals returned home to battle the Trenton Titans. Reading beat Trenton for the third straight time this season with a 3-2 shootout win. Finally, on Sunday afternoon the Royals topped the Toledo Storm 2-1 in overtime. Reading had lost a month earlier to Toledo in the Sovereign Center by the identical score also in an overtime affair.

This week the Royals will play three games in three nights on the weekend. Friday, the Royals continue their 14-game stretch against Northern Division foes hosting the Cincinnati Cyclones for the first meeting this season. The first 2,000 fans through the gate receive Koozie sports bottles courtesy of the Capital Blue Cross. Saturday, Reading travels to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City to tangle with the defending Kelly Cup Champion Boardwalk Bullies. Reading returns home on Sunday to host Peoria at 5:05 p.m. The game is being presented by Reese and Associates and Redner's Warehouse Markets. This week marks the final three games before the Christmas holiday break.

LAST WEEK

Friday, December 12 @ Dayton Nutter Center 7:00PM

GAME NOTES: Reading forward Judd Medak tallied five points, and the Royals scored a season-high eight goals, defeating Dayton, 8-4. Goaltender Cody Rudkowsky made 35 saves for Reading to win his ninth game of the year. The Royals buried five power play goals in the victory, marking the second time this season they have recorded five goals on the man-advantage.

Saturday, December 13 vs. Trenton Sovereign Center 7:05PM

GAME NOTES: The Royals continued their dominance at home this season, edging the Titans, 3-2, in a shootout. Reading forwards' Scooter Smith and Graig Mischler scored in the shootout, while net minder Cody Rudkowsky denied all four Trenton shooters he faced. Royals' forward Nick Lent picked up his second short-handed goal of the year, and defenseman Jonathan Zion added a power play tally to pace the Royals through regulation.

Sunday, December 14 vs. Toledo Sovereign Center 5:05PM

GAME NOTES: Judd Medak scored his 10th goal of the season, in overtime, as the Royals downed the Storm, 2-1. Medak's game-winner, which was assisted by defenseman Tomas Slovak, gave Reading its seventh straight win at home, and its fifth consecutive victory overall. Cody Rudkowsky stopped 42 shots for the Royals, who improved to 8-1-1 at the Sovereign Center this year.

THIS WEEK

Friday, December 19 vs. Cincinnati Sovereign Center 7:05PM

GAME NOTES: The Reading Royals meet the Cincinnati Cyclones for the first time this season. The Cyclones and Royals will meet four times this season with three battles in the Sovereign Center in Reading.

Saturday, December 20 @ Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall 7:05PM

GAME NOTES: Reading battles Atlantic City for the first of ten meetings this season. Each team will host five contests. Reading and Atlantic City meet three times in the next week with all battles taking place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Sunday, December 21 vs. Peoria Sovereign Center 5:05PM

GAME NOTES: Reading and Peoria meet for the third time this season and first time in the Sovereign Center in Reading. The Royals are a perfect 2-0-0 against the Rivermen beating Peoria twice in Illinois. Reading and Peoria will meet three more times after this battle.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Quick Stats Leading Scorers Leading Goaltenders

Overall Record: 15-7-3 Judd Medak 10-11-21 Adam Hauser 1.71 GAA, 3-0-1

Home Record: 8-1-1 Jon Zion 6-15-21 Cody Rudkowsky 2.06 GAA, 11-6-1

Road Record: 6-6-2 Brad Church 10-10-20 Terry Denike 5.28 GAA, 0-1-1

Overtime Record: 3-1 Mathieu Chouinard 2.00 GAA, 1-0-0

Shootout Record: 3-2

Penalty Kill: 128/144 89% (3) Plus/Minus Leaders

Power Play: 35/149 23.5% (2) Kent Davyduke +9

Judd Medak +6

Most goals: Brad Church/ Judd Medak (10) David Masse +4

Most assists: Jon Zion (15)

Most power play goals: Brad Church (5)

Most power play assists: Jon Zion (10)

Most power play points: Jon Zion (14)

Most shorthanded goals: Nick Lent (2)

Most Game winners: Peter Hay (4)

Most Wins: Cody Rudkowsky (11)

Most PIMs: Dave Stewart (114)

ECHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE:

#18 Judd Medak 3GP TEAM RECORD: 3-0-0 STATS: 3-4-7 (even) - Scored OT game winner vs. Toledo

Medak continued his hot play this week...The Vancouver native continued his eight game scoring streak (7-8-15) notching two goals and three assists in Dayton on Friday night. Saturday he chipped in an assist in the Royals win against Trenton. Sunday, Medak scored the game winner in overtime against Toledo. He is now the leading scorer for the Royals (tied with Jon Zion).

JUDD MEDAK 6'0" 200LBS HOMETOWN: SASKATOON, SK DOB: 10-11-79

LAST YEAR: GREENVILLE (ECHL)/ CHICAGO (AHL)

AMATEUR CLUB: UNIV. OF MINNESOTA-DULUTH

ECHL GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE:

#30 Cody Rudkowsky 3GP RECORD: 3-0-0 GAA: 1.96 SPCT: .941% TEAM RECORD: 3-0-0

Cody Rudkowsky registered his season high third, fourth and fifth straight wins this week. Rudkowsky has now started in 10 straight games for the Royals. He stopped 113 of 120 shots over the weekend recording a save percentage of .941 and a goals against average of 1.96. Rudkowsky has posted 11 of Reading's 15 wins.

CODY RUDKOWSKY 6'1" 215LBS HOMETOWN: WILLINGDON, AB DOB: 7-21-78

LAST YEAR: TRENTON (ECHL)/ WORCESTER (AHL)/ ST. LOUIS (NHL) AMATEUR CLUB: SEATTLE (WHL)

IN THE COMMUNITY: The Royals face off at Casa Grande tonight with Royals Weekly. Royals Weekly can be heard live on ESPN Radio, 1240AM from Casa Grande from 6-7 p.m. #10 David Masse and #35 Matt Passfield will be our special guests. Head coach Derek Clancey will join us as well.

Tuesday 12/16/03 6-8 PM @ Fairgrounds Square Mall AUTOGRAPH SESSION #10 Masse & #14 Nault

Wednesday 12/17/03 4-6 PM @ Cinema Center "THE LORD OF THE RINGS" PREMIER #51 Smith & #11 Lent

Thursday 12/18/03 3-5 PM @ Kids' Cafe with Saturn of Reading CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON #18 Davyduke, #15 Mischler, & #30 Rudkowsky

TEAM STREAKS:

· The Royals rank 7th in the league in goals against per game (2.53)

· Royals rank 2nd on the power play (23.5%) and lead the league with 35 power play goals for

· The Royals have won a club record 7 straight home wins and are 8-1-1 overall in the Sovereign Center

· Reading has attempted the most shots in overtime in the ECHL (27)

· Reading ranks 4th in team goals against average surrendering 2.44 per game

· Reading has scored 5 power play goals in a game twice (11/2 @ WHL, 12/12 @ DAY)

· Reading's 7 straight wins at home is an ECHL high in 2003

PLAYER STREAKS:

· #4 Defenseman Jason Maleyko leads the ECHL in shorthanded goal assists (2)

· #9 Forward Judd Medak is riding an eight game point streak (7g, 8a) 11/22-present

· #10 Forward David Masse ranks T7th in scoring (16) among ECHL rookies

· #16 Forward Peter Hay is tied for 1st in game winning goals among ECHL rookies (4)

· #17 Defenseman Ian Turner has recorded a goal in three of the last four games including an overtime game winner

· #18 Forward Kent Davyduke has a four game goal scoring streak (4g, 2a) 12/2-present

· #25 Forward Brad Church is riding a four game point streak (1g, 4a) 11/30-present

· #30 Goaltender Cody Rudkowsky has won five straight games

TRANSACTIONS:

12/9/2003 Delete BRAD CHURCH (LW) recalled to Manchester(AHL)
12/9/2003 Delete TERRY DENIKE (G) recalled to Manchester(AHL)
12/11/2003 Add MATHIEU CHOUINARD (G) assigned from Manchester (AHL)
12/11/2003 Delete KENT DAVYDUKE (RW) loaned to Hershey (AHL)
12/13/2003 Add DARRYL LAPLANTE (C) activated of IR
12/13/2003 Delete DARRYL LAPLANTE (C) waived
12/13/2003 Add LARS PETTERSEN (C) signed contract
12/13/2003 Add DAVE MARLIN (G) added as emergency back-up goalie
12/13/2003 Delete MATHIEU CHOUINARD (G) recalled to Manchester (AHL)
12/14/2003 Add KENT DAVYDUKE (RW) assigned from Hershey (AHL)
12/15/2003 Delete DAVE MARLIN (G) released

TICKETS AND INFORMATION: The Reading Royals Box Office is open from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Sovereign Center. Individual tickets can be purchased at the Sovereign Center Box Office or at any TicketMaster location. To order tickets by phone, call 215-336-2000. To book a group to a Royals game call 610-898-7825.

ROYALS ON THE AIRWAVES: All Reading Royals games, home and away, are broadcast on ESPN Radio, 1240AM and on the Royals website at www.royalshockey.com via Sportsjuice. Join the voice of the Royals, John Curtis for all the play-by-play action. The pre-game show comes your way approximately 25 minutes before the drop of the puck.

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics



ECHL Stories from December 15, 2003


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