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Reading Royals

Royals Slip Down Stretch In OT Loss in Johnstown, 4-3

February 27, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Johnstown PA - The Reading Royals (32-17-5=69, 2nd North Division) of the ECHL were unable to hold a two-goal third period lead, allowing the Johnstown Chiefs to get to overtime where they took the two points, 4-3. Even with the OTL, the Royals extended the team's unbeaten streak to a season high nine games (7-0-2) and jumped into sole possession of second place in the North Division. The Chiefs bagged a couple of power play goals against the Royals, including a six-on-four PPG with the goaltender pulled and just 56 seconds left in regulation to earn the tie. Terry Denike (5-5-2; 23/27) suffered his second overtime loss of the season for Reading; while Ryan Nie (19-10-3; 22/25) won for the second time in five tries against the Royals.

The Chiefs scored first 2:51 into the game on the power play when Ryan Garlock was able to walk out from behind the Royals goal to the left side where he slid the puck across the crease and into the far side of the net for his nineteenth goal of the year. Reading responded 31 seconds later with Victor Uchevatov's first goal of the season. Ned Lukacevic took control behind the Johnstown goal and fed Vladimir Dravecky in the left corner. Dravecky found Uchevatov between the hash marks, where he got off a one-timer that slipped behind Nie low to the stick side. Reading took a 2-1 lead 16:33 into the first. Shawn Collymore stole on the forecheck and fed Dravecky high on the left side. Dravecky ripped a one-timer that Nie kicked out with the left skate, but the rebound slid to the right circle where Scott Parse retrieved. Parse threw the puck out front, where Dravecky crashed and picked up his first goal with the Royals.

The Royals took a two-goal lead with a power play goal by Joe Zappala 13:53 into the second. As Reading moved up ice, the Royals' Mike Salekin and Johnstown's Randy Rowe got involved in a give-and-take in the neutral zone. The Royals kept the play going into the offensive zone, however, and Dravecky found Zappala low in the left circle. Zappala was able to fire a shot through the legs of Nie and into the net to extend his personal goal scoring streak to four games and pick up his twelfth goal of the year-and his eighth goal in his last nine games.

The Chiefs started their third period comeback with a goal by Mike Knight 13:13 into the final stanza. A Reading defender became entangled with Johnstown's Jason Spence at the defensive blue line, allowing the Chiefs to get the puck deep and create a scramble low in the Royals' defensive zone. As the scramble continued Knight was able to slip between the hash marks and take a feed from Ryan Garlock for a quick shot that slipped between Denike's legs and ended up in the net. The Chiefs tied the game with 56 seconds remaining with a six-on-four power play goal. While on the power play-and with the goaltender pulled-Johnstown won an offensive zone face-off and created a sequence of opportunities. The Royals had a chance to clear, but Tyler Hirsch kept the point in the center of the ice. He then fired on net. Denike made the stop, but the puck fluttered into the air where Randy Rowe deflected it in for his eighteenth of the year. The two teams traded a couple of chances in overtime, but the Chiefs took the two points when Mike Sgroi was able to gain entry in the offensive zone on the right wing side and feed Knight on the left. Knight made a move towards the net, and the Royals defender went down in an attempt to prevent a play towards the crease. Instead, Knight dropped the puck into the low slot where the trailing Alexander Imbeault fired it home for the overtime game winner.

The Royals and Chiefs go at it again on Saturday night (March 1; 7:05 pm) at the Sovereign Center in Reading. That night, the Royals (and Slappy) host Mascot Mania and the first 4000 fans receive a Slapshot trading card. The game night broadcast that night 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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