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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Solve Storm, 3-1

March 11, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (35-16-7=77) bounced back from a 3-1 loss in Toledo on Wednesday by turning the tables on the Storm with a 3-1 win of their own, snapping Reading's seven game winless streak against Toledo. Although Mike Kompon's 25-game personal point streak-the fourth longest in ECHL history-was snapped, the Royals scored the game's first three goals and relied on superb goaltending from Cody Rudkowsky (19-6-3, 28/29) to hold off a late-game Storm surge and pick up the win.

Reading scored first when Eric Werner intercepted a neutral zone pass and made a solo break into the offensive end. As he closed in on the goal, Werner deked Toledo goaltender, Drew MacIntyre, and went to the backhand sliding the puck through MacIntyre and into the net for his tenth goal of the season 3:36 into the game. Reading took a 2-0 lead later in the period, when a series of brilliant moves at the left side of the Storm net by Grant Jacobsen resulted in an opportunity in tight for Jacobsen. MacIntyre rejected that effort, as well as a Malcolm MacMillan stab at the put back. But the second rebound slid eleven feet from the goal, where Shay Stephenson took control and slipped a back-hander into the open side of the net (the right side, as you look at it) for his fifteenth of the year at the 13:19 mark of the first. Reading got further insurance in the second period, when Nick Vukovic slipped the Toledo pressure at the defensive blue line with a nice d-to-d cross-ice pass to Chris Barr, who quickly found Malcolm MacMillan deep in the neutral zone. MacMillan carried to the left wing point where he teed one up and blasted it off the stick of MacIntyre and into the net for his eleventh of the year. The Storm got a third period goal from Matt Zultek, but the Royals' Cody Rudkowsky continued his spectacular pressure play to preserve the victory for Reading, who played with a re-configured roster due to the recall (to Manchester) of Dany Roussin; the loan (to Milwaukee) of T.J. Kemp; the activation from the injured reserve (and return from Manchester) of Jon Francisco; and the return (from Hershey) of Jeff State.

Reading is back on the road on Saturday night in Dayton, taking on the Bombers at the E.J. Nutter Center at 7:00 pm. Then the Royals travel to Johnstown for a Sunday afternoon affair (3:00 pm) against the Chiefs. Royals' game day broadcasts can be heard on ESPN Radio 1240 am in Ephrata and www.royalshockey.com with pre-game beginning 30 minutes before the opening face-off. Streaming video is also available through the Royals' website on a pay per view basis provided by B2 Networks.

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