ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Slip in Wheeling, 4-1

Published on December 14, 2008 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Wheeling, WV - The Reading Royals (8-19-1= 17; 7th North Division) of the ECHL were defeated for the second night in a row by the Wheeling Nailers at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia, 4-1 on the strength of a third period hattrick by the Nailers' Rob Sirianni. The Royals were able to keep the ECHL's top offense at bay for the most part through the first two periods; but the Nailers and Sirianni struck a big chunk of pay dirt in the third. The loss ended the three game win streak for Royals' goaltender James Reimer (loss, 5-3-0; 39/42; eng); while Curtis Darling (win; 10-3-3; 25/26) won his tenth game of the year. Reading was held off the board on both of the team's power play chances; the Nailers scored one power play goal on four opportunities with the man advantage.

Although neither team scored in the first, the up-tempo pace provided an entertaining period of hockey. Wheeling finally broke through at the 11:02 mark of the second while the Nailers were on the power play. Defenseman Elgin Reid threw a pass point-to-point to Reid Cashman on the right side of the ice. Cashman had trouble with the pass but was able to elude the converging Reading penalty killers and get the puck to Jordan Morrison on the right half-wall. Morrison settled and fired a cross-ice pass to Erik Johnson who was planted in the left circle. Johnson cranked and ripped a one-timer that beat Reimer high to the glove side for his third of the season.

The Nailers extended the lead to 2-0 thirty-six seconds into the third after defenseman Matt Ganzak took control at the right point. Ganzak stepped deep into the offensive zone, carrying down the wall below the goal and slipped a pass back up into the right circle where Sirianni fired a one-timer that beat Reimer low stick side for his twelfth of the season. Reading got some life at the 8:00 minute mark of the third when Dinos Stamoulis sprang Peder Skinner into the offensive end. Skinner uncorked a bomb that beat Darling high to the blocker side for his third goal of the year-and second in seven games with the Royals. Fifty-four seconds later, Sirianni stuck the dagger in the Royals' heart when he carried into the right circle where he misfired on a snap shot; but the puck slipped through the body of Reimer to give Wheeling a 3-1 lead. The Royals weren't able to muster much offense from that point forward; and an empty netter with just five seconds remaining gave Sirianni the hattrick and nailed down the fifteenth win of the year for Wheeling..

Reading is off until next Friday (December 19, 2008 @ 7:30 pm) when the team travels to Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey to face the Trenton Devils. Friday's game will be broadcast live on the Royals Radio Network Presented by Transmissions by Arbogast (True Oldies WRAW 1340 am in Reading; and The Ticket WLAN 1390 am in Lancaster), as well as on the internet via webcast hosted by Sportsjuice.com, which can be accessed through the Royals website. To become a part of Royals hockey, call 610-898-PUCK or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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ECHL Stories from December 14, 2008


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