ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Stopped by Checkers, 4-2

Published on March 27, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Charlotte, NC - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (35-28-1-4=75, 2nd East Division), affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, were defeated by the Charlotte Checkers (40-21-4-3=87, 2nd South Division), 4-2, at the Time Warner Cable Arena, in Charleston, North Carolina. The loss snapped the Royals five game unbeaten streak and, for the moment at least, stifled the Royals late season playoff push. The Royals built an early two goal lead, but the Checkers ran off four consecutive in the second have of the game to beat the Royals for the second time this season (1-1-0-1). Goaltender Andrew Engelage (7-3-0-0; 28/32) suffered the loss in his first start of the year against Charlotte. Former Royal and currently Charlotte goaltender, Ryan Munce (24-14-2-1; 29/31) won for the first time in two starts against Reading this season. The Royals capitalized on a late first period power play to open the scoring (1-6). Charlotte's lone power play, from former Royal Steve Ward, tied the game at two in the second (1-5).

Reading scored with 10.1 seconds left in the first while playing with the man advantage. A failed clear from deep in the defensive zone by the Checkers hit Stefano Giliati in the chest. As the puck bounced towards the top of the crease, Giliati settled, out-waited Munce who sprawled to the ice, and fired it home for his twenty-first of the season. Reading took a 2-0 lead while the team's were playing four aside a the 4:29 of the second. Andrew Sarauer stole and charged into the offensive end. As he got to the Charlotte goal, he was sent tumbling over goaltender Munce. Sarauer was awarded a penalty shot-and capitalized on his third penalty shot of the year, when he went fore-hand, back-hand stick side on Munce for his team leading twenty-fifth goal of the year.

The Checkers began their comeback effort at the 6:46 mark of the second, twenty-three seconds after a tilt between Charlotte's Devin DiDiomete and Reading's Scott Fletcher charged the big crowd in Charlotte. Mike Taylor fed David Marshall, who carried in on the right side of the offensive end and fired a snap shot from above the top of the circle that beat Engelage for his twenty-first of the year. The Checkers tied the game at two at the 8:20 mark of the first while playing with the man advantage when Ward threw a hard wrister from the left point that went by the screen of Daniel Tkaczuk and hit the upper right corner of the night. Charlotte took their first lead of the game on a goal off the rush at the 13:56 mark of the first by another former Royal-Kevin Schaeffer. Brock Bradford carried deep into the offensive end on the right wing side and chipped the puck towards the front of Reading's net where a hard-charging Schaeffer beat a back-checking Royal to a spot in front of the net and redirected the spinning puck over the right pad of Engelage for his fifth of the year.

Charlotte got some insurance with a short-handed goal by defenseman David Urquhart at the 10:04 mark of the third. A miscue by a Royal defender at the right point allowed Tkaczuk to take off on a break. Tkaczuk was caught from behind, but he still got a back-hander on net. Engelage made the stop on that shot, but the rebound fell to the left side of the net, where a crashing Urquhart punched it in for his second of the year. After that, the Royals attempted to muster a comeback of their own, but weren't able to create the number or quality of opportunities required to pull that off.

The Royals and Checkers go at it again tomorrow afternoon (Sunday, March 28, 2010 @ 2:05 pm) at the the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Royals game night broadcast on the Royals Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast will begin at 1:35 pm.

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