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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Pick Up Another Late Game Win In Trenton, 3-1

January 26, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - For the second time this season, the Reading Royals (23-16-3=49, 3rd North Division) of the ECHL got a late game goal to break a tie with the Trenton Devils and win at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey. Back on December 12, Reading's Charlie Kronschnabel scored in the waning moments to give the Royals a 3-2 win. Tonight, the late game heroics fell to Chris Blight, who scored what proved to be the game winner with just 3:41 remaining. For the seventh time this season, Royals goaltender Jon Quick (15-10-3; 43/44) held the opposition to one goal (or less); while Dave Caruso (12-13-2; 31/33; 1 eng) suffered the loss.

After a scoreless first period, the Royals struck first 3:07 into the second period while on the power play. Quick threw a long clearing pass from the defensive zone, while the Devils were in the process of making a change on their penalty killing unit. The Royals gained entry and control in the offensive zone with Dany Roussin feeding P.J. Atherton, who in turn found Kevin Saurette in the left circle. Saurette cut towards the center of the ice and fired a shot on net. It appeared that Caruso made the stop; but the puck slipped through his equipment and fell across the goal line for Saurette's fifth goal of the year. Ten seconds later, Trenton tied the game at one, when Quick tried to clear on the left wing wall from behind the Royals' goal. Trenton's Matt Radoslovich kept the puck in the left corner and fed Benoit Mondou, who in turn fired a cross-ice pass through the crease to the right side of the net where Eric Castonguay was waiting for the back-door tap-in. The teams traded scoring chances for the remainder of the second, with the Devils creating the best of the opportunities in a wild scramble mid-way into the period that resulted in a spectacular, sprawling arm save by Quick and point blank scoring opportunity that hit the cross bar.

The Devils continued their push in the third, pressuring the Royals defense and pounding fifteen shots on Quick. The third period flurries for Trenton included two power play chances; but the Royals penalty killers would continue their strong play, keeping the Devils PP off the board in seven chances with the man advantage. Reading pushed back a couple of times in the third, and it paid off late in the game when Shawn Germain used his left hand to prevent a clearing attempt by the Devils at the left point. Germain punched the puck behind the Devils' goal, where Joe Zappala took control. Zappala forced his way to the right side of the net and slipped the puck into the crease. Blight, who was battling for position at the top of the crease, was able to get a stick on the loose puck and push it in for his team leading sixteenth goal of the season with just 3:41 remaining. Saurette added an empty netter with 50 seconds to ice things, as the Royals for the third time (in six tries) in Trenton this season on their final regular season appearance at the Sovereign Bank Arena.

Reading now travels to Johnstown's Cambria County War Memorial Arena, where the team will take on the Johnstown Chiefs at 5:05 on Sunday afternoon. The game night broadcast on Sunday 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.

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ECHL Stories from January 26, 2008


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