ECHL Reading Royals

Royals rocked in roller coaster loss to Wheeling, 7-4

January 11, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (19-14-3=41, t-3rd North Division) of the ECHL fell behind 15 seconds into the game, but battled back to take a second period lead, only to slip down the stretch and lose to the Wheeling, Nailers, 7-4, at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. Despite bagging three power play goals (3-8) and holding the Nailers power play off the board (0-3), the Royals held their lone lead of the game (3-2) for only 1:20 before Wheeling bounced back and pulled away. Jon Quick started and struggled (no decision, 13/17 in 34:12). Terry Denike came on in substation and suffered a similar fate (loss, 4-5-0; 10/12, 1 eng). Martin Houle picked up his third win of the year for Wheeling (win, 3-10-3; 30/34).

Wheeling struck 15 seconds into the game, when the Nailers' Aaron Clarke picked off a Royals' back pass right off the opening face-off to start things off, and found teammate Kevin Croxton driving through the slot. Croxton slipped Reading's defender and snuck in on Quick, who appeared to be caught in no-man's land in the middle of the crease; and as Quick attempted to poke the puck away, Croxton chipped it in for his tenth goal of the year. The Nailers went up 2-0 6:39 into the game, while the two teams were playing four-on-four. Sean Collins controlled into the offensive zone and dropped the puck to a trailing Seamus Young who walked deep down the slot and ripped a snap shot over the right shoulder of Quick for his fourth of the year. Reading began to right the ship 12:57 into the first on the team's first power play chance of the night, when Brock Hooton won an offensive zone faceoff to Dany Roussin who, in turn, found P.J. Atherton at the left point. Atherton's wrist shot appeared to strike someone or something in front and flutter over Houle for Atherton's seventh goal of the year. Reading tied the game at the 16:37 mark of the first on their second power play chance of the night. Hooton found Roussin between the hash-marks, and Roussin got off a one-timer that Houle stopped; but the rebound fell to the top of the crease, where Matt Herneisen was able to chip the loose puck in for his third of the year.

The Royals took their only lead of the night with the team's third power play goal of the game 3:33 into the second. While the Royals were playing with a five-on-three skater advantage, Roussin passed behind the Wheeling net to Charlie Kronschnabel, who took control in the left corner, carried above the goal line and found Mike Salekin at the right point. Salekin drilled a low rocket that beat Houle five-hole and gave Reading a 3-2 lead. 1:20 later, the Nailers re-tied the game at three when a soft clear in the defensive zone was picked off by Sean Collins at the top of the right circle. Collins floated in front of the Royals' goal and uncorked a snap shot that beat Quick high glove side for his seventh goal of the year. Another bad clear by the Royals resulted in a transition rush for Nailers' Aaron Boogard, who skated to the top of the right circle and beat Quick with a high snap shot blocker side-and that was it for Quick 14:12 into the second period. Terry Denike, who came in as the substitute, was greeted rather rudely on the second shot he faced. Justin Chwedoruk carried down the right side, went completely around the Royals' goal, came out on the left side of the net and was permitted to float out front where he fired one on goal that somehow snuck through Denike to make it 5-3 Wheeling with just 1:23 remaining in the second.

Reading made a game of it again at the 12:05 mark of the third, when a hard forecheck by Kevin Saurette resulted in a steal high in the offensive zone by Larry Courville, who found Hooton low in the slot in front of the Nailers' net. Hooton cut left and jammed the puck around Houle on the opposite side for his twelfth goal of the year. The Royals pressed down the stretch, but the Nailers took the starch out of the comeback effort with 1:56 remaining, when Radim Slivchenko took control below the goal line and fed B.J. Radovich at the right side of the Royals' goal. Radovich slipped the puck through Denike's legs for his first goal in his first game with Wheeling. The Nailers added an empty netter from Kevin Croxton with just 33 seconds left, but the damage had already been done, as the Royals' home winless streak was stretched to four games (0-3-1).

The Royals return to action tomorrow night (7:05 pm) the Johnstown Chiefs at the Sovereign Center for the first time this season. The Royals will induct Jon Francisco into the Reading Eagle Wall of Honor, and the first 2000 fans will receive a Royals' poster courtesy of the Reading Eagle. The game night broadcast on Saturday will begin at 6:35 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 11, 2008


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