ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Sign Forward Andrew Sarauer

Published on August 31, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, today announced that the team has signed forward Andrew Sarauer ["SARR"]. Last season, Sarauer (6'4/209) (25), who hails from Outlook, Saskatchewan, registered a team-leading twenty-eight goals, assisted on thirty-five others (sixty-three points) and picked up sixty-five penalty minutes in seventy-one regular season games for the Royals. Sarauer, who received the team's Heart Award for his performance last season, added three goals and three assists (six points) in sixteen playoff games with Reading. Sarauer, who tied for the team lead with four game winning goals in the regular season, had two GWGs in the playoffs, including one of the most dramatic goals in team history-at the 17:08 mark of overtime in a decisive Game Five of the American Conference Quarter-Final series against the Kalamazoo Wings.

Sarauer is the twelfth player announced as signed to an ECHL contract by the Royals for the 2010-11 season and the sixth Royal to return to the club from last season. Reading has now announced as signed the top three scorers from last season's team (Ryan Cruthers, Ben Gordon, and Sarauer) and four of the top six (Olivier Labelle).

Sarauer, who will be entering his third season of pro, joined the Royals one game into the regular season last year after being released by the Johnstown Chiefs. Sarauer's first goal as a Royal, which came in his second game with the team on October 23, 2009, was scored on a penalty shot against the Toledo Walleye's goaltender, Jordan Pearce. That was the first of what would prove to be a team record three penalty shot goals last year, one of which was awarded while the team was playing short-handed. In fact, Sarauer led the Royals with four SHGs last year and led entire ECHL with five short-handed assists and nine short-handed points. Although Sarauer showed glimpses of offensive prowess in the early stages of the season-including a three point performance (2g-1a) during which he bagged the game winning goal in a 4-2 win in Elmira on January 2, 2010; he exploded down the closing stretch of the regular season, racking up thirty-one points (15g-16a) in the final seventeen games of the year. That outpouring of offense included registering the first six point performance (3g-3a) in Royals' team history when he played to a plus-5 (+5) (and scored the GWG) in an 8-4 win over the Trenton Devils in regular season finale at the Sovereign Center. Sarauer's first goal of the post-season also proved to be the game winner, when he picked off an errant clearing attempt in front of the Kalamazoo Wings' net and slipped the puck through the legs of goaltender Riley Gill for the first round playoff series clinching goal. Sarauer also scored the game winner in Reading's 4-2 win in Game Two of the American Conference Finals against the Cincinnati Cyclones.

In his rookie season with Johnstown, Sarauer scored nineteen goals and assisted on twenty-seven others (forty-six points) and picked up seventy-one penalty minutes in forty-nine ECHL games. He also earned two AHL call-ups that year, including a fifteen game stint with the Lake Erie Monsters. Prior to turning pro, Sarauer, a fourth round pick of the Vancouver Canucks in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, played four seasons at Northern Michigan University, where he scored thirteen goals and registered eighteen assists (thirty-one points) in 112 collegiate games.

The Royals host the team's tenth anniversary home opener on Saturday, October 23, 2010 (7:05 pm), when the Elmira Jackals visit the Sovereign Center. Also, be sure to catch the Royals' season opener live from Trenton, New Jersey, (@ Trenton Devils Saturday, October 16, 2010 @ 7:00 pm)-and all of the team's away games this year-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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