ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Pull Out Shootout Win Over Toledo, 4-3

Published on October 29, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (2-2-1-1=6, 2nd East Division), affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, beat the Toledo Walleye, 4-3, in a shootout at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals built a two-goal lead through forty-minutes, but the Walleye bounced back with a couple of goals-one on a penalty shot-in the third period to send it to overtime and, ultimately, the shootout. In the shootout, the final four shooters for Reading scored on their chance, while the Walleye weren't able to keep pace with that scoring ratio. Beau Erickson (win, 1-0-0-0; 28/31; 2/4) won in his first start of the season for the Royals; Alec Richards (sol, 2-1-0-1; 29/32; 1/5) took the shootout loss. The third Reading goal was scored while the team was on the power play (1-4); while two of Toledo's goals, including the third period game-tying goal, were scored while the Walleye were on the power play (2-8).

The Walleye struck 10:06 into the first period while playing with the man advantage. Adam Hobson took a hard, low shot from deep on the right wing side. Erickson made the stop, but the rebound ricocheted to the low slot, where Maxime Tanguay quickly fired for his second of the year. Reading tied the game 9:06 into the second, when Stefano Giliati blocked a shot at right point in Reading's defensive zone, and the puck bounded off his shin pad into the neutral zone, where he was able to track it down and head off to the races. Giliati cut from left to right in the offensive end and chipped a backhand behind Richards to extend his goal scoring streak to five games. The Royals took the team's first lead of the night 12:24 into the second when Joey Ryan fired a hard slap shot from the high slot that deflected off a Walleye stick and fluttered over Richards and into the net for his first goal of the year. Reading took a two goal lead with 1:19 left in the second while playing with the man advantage. Giliati fed out of the left circle to Ben McLeod who was planted in the low slot. McLeod partially misfired on his one-timer, but got enough of it to slip it through Richards for his fourth goal of the year.

Toledo started their comeback effort 9:25 into the third, when Mike Hedden slipped behind the Royals defense and received a long, stretch pass at the offensive blue line. As Hedden carried towards the Reading net, Jared Ross hauled him down from behind, and Hedden was awarded the penalty shot. Hedden made the most of that chance, burying a high, hard snap shot stick side on Erickson for his second goal of the year. After the penalty shot, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was assessed against Erickson and the Royals. On the ensuing power play, Hobson walked off the right half-wall and drilled a rocket under the bar at the 10:41 mark of the third to tie the game at three. With the momentum shifted clearly in favor of the Walleye, the Royals buckled down and got to overtime, where each team had a partial power play-but neither could score. In the shootout, McLeod shot first for the Royals and was stopped. Hedden shot first for Toledo and, once again, fired a brilliant rocket to give the Walleye the lead in the shootout. However, the next four Reading shooters: Giliati, Ben Gordon, Danick Bouchard, and Olivier Labelle all scored; while Erickson stopped J.C. Sawyer and Dominic Osman; and, although Tanguay scored shooting fourth, Labelle's goal clinched the two points for the Royals.

The Royals have Friday off before returning to the Sovereign Center for a 1:05 pm start against the Johnstown Chiefs on Halloween Day. Saturday's broadcast time is 12:30 pm on the Royals Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast. To become a part of Royals hockey, call 610-898-PUCK or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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