ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Regroup And Repel Dayton Comeback To Win 5-4 In Overtime

February 17, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Dayton, OH - The Reading Royals (28-13-6=62) scored early and late-21 seconds into the game and with 22 seconds left in overtime-to defeat the Dayton Bombers, 5-4. The Royals got two goal performances from Doug Christiansen and Malcolm MacMillan and an overtime game winner from Dany Roussin to snap a season high five game winless streak and jump into a tie with the Wheeling Nailers for the top slot in the ECHL's North Division.

For the first time in three games, the Royals struck first-on their first shift of the night-when Shay Stephenson battled to take control of a loose puck high in the offensive zone. Stephenson carried the puck behind the Dayton net and threw a back-hander towards the goal that Bomber netminder David Currie kicked out with the right pad. However, Doug Christiansen was on the doorstep, and on his second attempt he was able to chip it in to give Reading a 1-0 lead 21 seconds in. Early in the second, the Royals took a 2-0 lead, when Malcolm MacMillan was able to walk off the left wing half wall to the top of the Dayton crease., where he lifted a back-hander high over top Currie at the 2:29 mark of the second. Dayton cut the Royals' lead to one while on the power play, when Dominic Noel ripped a low snap shot out of the left circle that slipped through Reading's goaltender Cody Rudkowsky at the 4:25 mark of the second. The Royals, however, responded to regain the two goal advantage at the 8:22 mark of the second with a power play goal of their own. Roussin sprang Stephenson into the offensive zone on the right wing side. As Stephenson went deep into the right circle, the Bombers' defense gave him some space to operate, and he slipped a saucer to the top of the crease, where Christiansen re-directed it behind Currie to give the Royals' a 3-1 lead. That was Christiansen's team leading twenty-third goal of the season-and his twelfth multi-point game this year. Reading built the team's lead to three goals at the 11:47 mark of the second when Eric Werner ripped a slap shot from the high slot that went wide to the left side of the net and ricocheted off the end wall back towards the left side of the Dayton net where Grant Jacobsen took control of the puck. Jacobsen slid it across the top of the crease to MacMillan, who tapped it in for his six goal of the season-and his first multi-goal game of the year for Reading.

The third belonged to the Bombers, as they rang off back-to-back-to-back goals to tie things at four and outshot Reading 14-1. The first two goals were both scored on five-on-three power plays-the first by Scott Cameron 35 seconds into the period and the second by Jeff Szwez 1:06 later-to make it 4-3 early in the third. Dayton then tied things at the 5:05 mark of the third, when Szwez fired a shot from along the right wing goal line that snuck by Rudkowsky to tie things at four. The remainder of the third remained scoreless, which allowed the Royals to catch their breath and energy for the overtime period. Reading dominated the OT, outshooting the Bombers 5-0. But Dayton kept the Royals off the board until the waning moments, when MacMillan won an offensive zone face-off to Chris Barr, who passed back to the point, where Nick Vukovic fired a slap shot on goal. Currie stopped that, but the rebound bounced out in front where Roussin, who had been knocked to his knees, was able to slide a back-hander in for his nineteenth goal of the season and the first overtime game winner of his pro career.

Reading has another against the Bombers tomorrow night (7:00 pm) at the E.J. Nutter Center in Dayton. The Royals return home on Sunday for a 3:30 match-up against the Titans. Immediately prior to next Sunday's game, the Reading Fire Department will take on the Reading Police Department in the First Annual Battle of the Badges Charity Hockey Game, which will serve to raise funds for the Michael H. Wise II Memorial Foundation. All fans with a ticket to the Royals game on Sunday, February 19, can also gain admittance to the Battle of the Badges, which will begin at 1:00 pm. 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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ECHL Stories from February 17, 2006


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