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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Start 2012 with Win in Chicago, 9-2

January 7, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Hoffman Estates, IL - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (14-13-3-334, 3rd Atlantic Division), affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, defeated the Chicago Express (15-13-4-1345, 2nd North Division), 3-2, at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The Royals offense exploded for a season high nine goals in the team's first game ever at Sears Centre Arena, stretching the team's current road winning streak to six games (6-0-0-0).

Goaltender Mark Owuya (win, 7-1-2-1, 33/35) had to make what was perhaps a surprising number of big saves in a game that was somewhat lopsided on the scoreboard. Owuya is unbeaten in his last six games with the Royals (5-0-0-1). Chicago's Allen York (loss, 4-3-1-0, 22/28 in 40:00) sustained the loss in his first start ever against the Royals. Paul Dainton (no decision, 3/6 in 20:00) came on in substitution for the third period. Reading finally broke through on the power play for the team's ninth goal of the night (1-7). The Express didn't capitalize on their only chance with the man advantage, although Reading did-for the team's sixth short-handed goal of the year. Chicago's first goal did come, however, two seconds after the expiration of that PP opportunity.

Reading struck first 2:56 into the game when Ryan Button ripped a hard shot from the top of the left circle by York for his first as a pro. Fifty-nine seconds later, with the Royals playing short-handed, Kenny Ryan tried the hard wrap-and-jam at the left pipe. York rejected that effort, but Casey Haines, playing in his first game since November 25, forced it back through from the top of the crease for his fifth goal of the year.

1:26 after that, Chicago cut the Royals lead to 2-1, when Kyle Ostrow slipped a cross-crease pass to Joe Cucci who stuffed it home for his first as a pro. Fifty-six seconds after that, however, the Royals regained the two goal cushion when Ryan Cruthers finished from the top of the crease after a beautiful 360-degree spin-a-rama pass out of the right circle from Yannick Riendeau. That goal, which was Cruthers' ninth of the year, proved to be his second consecutive game winner.

Reading extended the team's lead to five with three straight in the second. Matt Schepke broke a fifteen game goal scoring drought off the rush when he drilled one under and through York 14:48 into the second. Twenty-nine seconds later, Dale Mitchell, who would end the night with four points (2g-2a), scored his ninth with Reading when Riendeau set him up for a point blank look from out front. With 1:32 left in the second, Mitchell scored his tenth of the year on a beautiful diagonal-down back-door set up by Yannick Tifu, who had three exceptional assists on the night.

Chicago gave Reading pause to think 5:04 into the third, when former Royal, Chad Painchaud, picked off an attempted break out pass at the offensive blue line and uncorked a bullet low blocker for his ninth of the year. But the Royals answered with three more, starting fifteen seconds later with Schepke's second of the night on a rocket off the top of the left circle that beat Paul Dainton high glove. 7:24 into the third, Cruthers bagged his second of the night on an easy tap-finish on the back-door after another brilliant set up by Tifu. The Royals capped the scoring with a power play goal by Yannick Riendeau, who held a hot rim in the right corner, stepped into the circle and fired a beautiful bullet across Dainton's body for his ninth of the year. That would be more than the Royals needed in this one, as Reading ran the team's road record to 11-4-2-1 (and 7-0-1-1 on Friday nights on the road).

The Royals and Express go at it again tomorrow (Saturday, January 7, 2012 @ 8:30 pm eastern time) in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The game night broadcast next Friday will start at 8:00 pm (eastern time) with the Red Robin Gourmet Burger Pre-Game Warm-up Show on ESPN Radio 1240 am in Reading. Streaming audio is available free of charge courtesy of America One through the Royals' website, www.royalshockey.com. As with all Royals' road games this year, Saturday's game in Wheeling will be televised locally in Berks County, Pennsylvania on BCTV courtesy of Boscov's Travel and the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

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