ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Pull out Shootout Win Over Trenton, 4-3

Published on March 10, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (1st Atlantic Division, 37-18-2-379), affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, defeated the Trenton Devils (3rd Atlantic Division, 21-34-2-449), 4-3, in a shootout at Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals were unable to protect three different leads during the sixty-five minutes of hockey, but took the two points in the eighth round of the shootout when Denny Urban, who joined the Royals on Sunday, bagged his first pro shootout attempt.

Reading's Matt Dalton (win, 16-10-1-0, 40/43, 7/8 in shootout) won his second shootout of the year for Reading. Dave Caruso (sol, 5-10-1-3, 35/38, 6/8 in shootout) dropped to 0-3-0-1 in four starts against the Royals this year. Two of the Royals three goals came while the team was playing with the man advantage (2-5). Reading's penalty killers were perfect for the thirtieth time this season (0-4).

Reading struck thirteen seconds into the team's first power play chance of the night, when Ben Gordon dished to Ryan Cruthers, who found Rob Kwiet in the high slot. Kwiet's shot snuck through Caruso primarily because of a heavy screen out in front by Olivier Labelle. For Gordon, that assist was his 139th point (52g-87a) in 119 games as a Royal, tying him with Brad Rooney as the organization's all-time leading scorer. Despite taking the early lead on the power play, the Royals were unable to capitalize on nine additional minutes of time with the man advantage in the first-which included a five minute major assessed against Trenton's J.S. Berube for a hit from behind.

6:04 into the second, Ryan Ginand was hauled from behind in a clean breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot; but Dalton rejected that bid to preserve the Royals' 1-0 bid. The Devils tied the game for the first time 14:01 into the second on a delayed penalty, which was about to be assessed against the Royals. Trevor Kell controlled behind the Royals' net and found defenseman David Leaderer at the top of the right circle. Leaderer slipped a wrist-shot through a number of players out in front of the Royals' net, as well as Dalton, for his fifth of the year. 1:37 after that, Chris Blight broke free from the Royals' defensive end, carried through the neutral zone, and into the offensive zone. Blight dragged the puck to the high slot, where he ripped a snap shot through a defender. Caruso kicked the shot out with his left pad, but the puck trickled off his leg pad and skate and appeared to be rolling wide of the net, until Caruso, who was sprawled out on the ice, swung his stick around and tried to corral the puck; but instead poked it into the net to give the Royals' the team's second lead of the night.

Trenton re-tied the game at two 3:18 into the third period, when Martin Nolet fired off the left point. The puck went through several legs and may have been deflected on the way through, but either way it found the far side of the net for Nolet's third of the year. Reading took the team's third lead of the night with a second power play goal 7:46 into the final period. Kwiet fired from the high slot, and it appeared that the puck was going wide of the net on the left side, but Labelle, who was set up at the side of the net with his back to the front of the goal, re-directed the puck between his own legs and then through the legs of Caruso as well for Labelle's sixteenth of the year.

The Devils tied the game for the third time 13:27 into the third, when Matt Lombardi fired out of the left circle. Dalton made the stop, but the rebound fell to left side of the net, where Myles Stoez took control, took it behind the Reading net, and tried to wrap it around and jam it in at the right pipe. Dalton dove cross-crease and made a spectacular stop, but the rebound slid to Mike Potacco who chipped it over Dalton and through several Royals who were trying to protect the front of the net to make it 3-3.

Neither team was able to score through the time remaining in regulation or overtime. In the shootout, the Royals shot first but were unable to score until the fourth round when Blight broke through to tie it at one. (Trenton had scored on their first shot in the shootout in a great move by Ryan Hayes.) From there, neither team was able score through the seventh round. In the eighth, Denny Urban, playing in his second game with the Royals and taking his first shootout attempt as a pro, drilled it five-hole on Caruso. Dalton rejected the eighth bid for the Devils taken by Taylor Vichorek to give the Royals their nineteenth home win of the season (19-8-1-2).

The Royals return to action on Saturday (March 12 @ 7:05 pm) when the team will face the Toledo Walleye at the Sovereign Center. The Royals will celebrate St. Hattrick's Day and the Berks Jazz Fest. The first 2500 fans will receive a Royals' hat courtesy of Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products and Lasting Image Promotional Products. The Royals will wear special jerseys that will be auctioned off after the game to benefit the Berks Arts Council. 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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