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Reading Royals

Royals Slip Down Stretch In 4-3 Shootout Loss In Kalamazoo

December 9, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Kalamazoo, MI - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (13-8-1-229, 1st 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, were defeated by the Kalamazoo Wings, 4-3, in a shootout at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Royals held a three goal lead as the team entered the third period, but were unable to hold off the Kalamazoo attack, suffering the team's second shootout loss of the year. Goaltender Matt Dalton (loss, 5-4-0-1; 36/49; 1/4 in shootout) sustained his first shootout loss as a pro. Kalamazoo's Jeremy Duchesne (win, 5-1-1-0; 31/34; 3/4 in shootout) led the Wings to their fourth win over the Royals this year. Two of Readings goals came while the team was playing with the man advantage (2-6); while the Royals' PK kept the Wings power pl-which included a stretch of seven straight minutes of playing with the man advantage as well as 1:15 of five-on-three in the second period-off the score sheet (0-6).

Reading got on the board first 17:40 into the first with a five-on-three power play goal by Eric Werner. Nick St. Pierre started the attack from the high slot with a pass to the right side of the net where Ben Gordon settled and ripped a cross crease pass to Daniel Steiner at the left side of the goal. Steiner then slipped a pass back up into the slot, where Werner ripped a quick snap shot between the legs of Duchesne for his second goal of the season. The Royals took a 2-0 lead 1:54 into the second period while playing with the man advantage. Ryan Cruthers fed Steiner in the left corner, and Steiner promptly walked the goal line, attacked to the top of the crease, and attempted to jam the puck in. Duchesne rejected that effort, only to have Olivier Labelle jam the puck in for his fourth of the season.

In the middle of the second the Royals faced a seven minute power play against, when Rob LaLonde was assessed with an instigating minor, a five minute fighting major, and a game misconduct after a hit by Kalamazoo's Mitch Versteeg on Stefano Giliati at the offensive blue line drew the ire of LaLonde. The Royals' PK not only killed that entire sequence, but also killed off both ends of 1:15 worth of five-on-three against later in the period. Reading capped that off with the team's third goal of the game at the 16:20 mark of the second. Marc Cavosie forced the puck from low in the left circle to the top of the crease, where Danick Bouchard was able to get enough of it to deflect it through Duchesne for his eighth goal of the year.

The Wings started their climb back in at the 6:52 mark of the third, when Dalton attempted a back-hand clear from behind the Royals' net up the boards on Kalamazoo's right wing side. Versteeg stepped to the half-wall, intercepted and fired before Dalton could get re-set in goal for his first goal of the season. The K-Wings cut the Royals' lead to one (3-2) at the 9:38 mark of the third, when Rick Cleaver fed Ryan McGinnis on the left half-wall; and McGinnis was able to beat Dalton high to the short side. Kalamazoo completed the comeback at the 15:32 mark of the third, when Darryl Lloyd was allowed to skate from high on the left wing side completely around the Royals' net and back out on the far side-deep into the right circle, where he turned back towards the slot for a point blank shot. That effort didn't make it through, but Ben Simon who was planted on the doorstep, punched it back for his fourth of the year.

After a scoreless overtime, the top teams in their respective divisions (Kalmazoo in the North; and Reading in the East) took this one to the shootout for resolution. Cleaver shooting first for the K-Wings slipped one under the left pad of Dalton to get Kalamazoo started on the right foot. The Royals' Olivier Labelle answered with a beautiful shot top shelf glove side-but that's all the Royals would get as the team's other three shooters (Gordon, Steiner and Bouchard) were all rejected; while Andrew Fournier and Darryl Lloyd both went top cheese on Dalton for the win.

The Royals continue the team's road trip in Cincinnati on Saturday night where the Royals will face the Cincinnati Cyclones for the first time this season. That night, the Royals game night broadcast on the Royals Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast will kick off at 7:00 pm.

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