ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Pull Off Dramatic Comeback To Defeat Chiefs In Overtime, 6-5

Published on March 17, 2006 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA -. The Reading Royals (37-17-7=81) fell behind 4-1 after a dismal first period, but turned things around and turned them on down the stretch to defeat the Johnstown Chiefs in overtime, 6-5. Reading scored with just 14.2 seconds remaining in regulation to send it to the overtime session, and then pulled off the dramatic win when Doug Christiansen slipped one home 1:33 into the OT to mark the first time this season that Reading has come back from a deficit of two or more goals and won.

The Chiefs started the scoring at the 7:41 mark of the first when Brad Thompson and Andre Deveaux used solid work on the end wall to free the puck behind the Royals' net, giving Deveaux a chance to slip the puck between the hash marks where Brandon Elliott stepped up and fired it home for the 1-0 lead. The Royals responded to tie things 2:54 later when Reagan Rome drilled a brilliant blueline-to-blueline pass that sprang Doug Christiansen on a clean breakaway. Christiansen did not waste the chance as he ripped a high hard snap shot stick side on the right-hand catching Gabe Winer, who got his first start in net for the Chiefs this season. Forty-two seconds later, however, the Chiefs regained the lead at 2-1 when Justin Kelly fired a snap shot from the high slot that Randy Rowe re-directed behind goaltender Cody Rudkowsky (21-7-3, 17/21). Deveaux gave the Chiefs a two-goal lead a minute and twenty seconds later when he was able to walk down the slot through the Royals' defense for a clean shot that beat Rudkowsky low stick side. A minute and thirteen seconds after that, a failed clear by Reading resulted in another uncontested chance for Adam Henrich, who went to his back-hand as he cut from left to right in front of the net to beat Rudkowsky, who made an aggressive sprawling effort to stop the puck, giving the Chiefs a 4-1 first period lead.

Reading struck early in the second when Larry Courville ripped a snap shot out of the right circle that went through a maze of traffic in front of Winer to make it 4-2 Johnstown just 1:30 into the period for Courville's fourth of the season. The Royals cut the Johnstown lead to one 11:45 into the third period with a power play goal by Reagan Rome, who threw a wrister from the high slot that hit a Johnstown stick and deflected in a downward direction and behind Winer to make it 4-3. Johnstown then rebuilt the two goal lead at the 15:54 mark of the third when Brad Thompson took control of a loose puck in the neutral zone and was off to the races for another breakaway goal on Rudkowsky.

The Royals would not go quietly into this night, however, as a long clearing pass by Rudkowsky was gloved down in the neutral zone by Chris Bala, who broke behind the Johnstown defense and went five-hole on Winer to make it 5-4 with 3:06 remaining in regulation. Then with just 14.2 second remaining-and the goaltender pulled and the sixth attacker on the ice-the Royals pressured the Chiefs until Eric Werner fired one from the high slot that was Jon Francisco redirected behind Winer for his fourteenth goal of the season-and Francisco's first since returning to the Royals last week after missing 29 games and 65 days with a knee injury. Early into overtime, the Royals finished when Doug Christiansen fired one toward the net that appeared to hit a skate and redirect into the goal for Christiansen's second goal of the night and his team leading twenty-ninth of the seaso-and for the team's fifth overtime win of the season.

Reading now heads to Wheeling to take on the Nailers at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia (8:00pm). On Sunday, the Royals are in Toledo for the last time in the regular season (3:00 pm) before returning to the Sovereign Center next Tuesday for another matchup against the Nailers. On that night, the first 2500 fans in attendance receive a Royals poster courtesy of the Reading Eagle. Royals' game day broadcasts can be heard on ESPN Radio 1240 am in Ephrata and www.royalshockey.com with pre-game beginning 30 minutes before the opening face-off. Streaming video is also available through the Royals' website on a pay per view basis provided by B2 Networks.

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