ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Take Game One of North Division Finals

April 24, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL won Game One of the North Division Finals best of seven series against the Cincinnati Cyclones 5-3 at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals picked up two power play goals and two short-handed goals, including an SHG by Patrik Hersley with just 1:42 remaining in regulation to give the Royals a two-goal cushion in the waning moments. Goaltender Danny Taylor (5-2; 32/35) registered the win for Reading, while Maxime Daigneault (4-1; 20/25) sustained his first loss of the playoffs.

For the first time in the playoff season, Reading got on the board first, when the Royals scored on the team's first power play chance 1:02 into the game. Patrick Jarrett fed Chris Blight along wall end wall. Blight, in turn, found Dany Roussin at the top of the crease for a quick shot that resulted in Roussin's fourth goal of the playoff season and his team leading third power play goal. The Royals took a 2-0 lead 6:08 into the second when Kevin Schaeffer took control of a loose puck in the defensive zone, found Joe Zappala, who fed Brock Hooton at the top of the left circle. Hooton carried towards the Cyclones' net and fired a high snap shot that beat Daigneault to the glove side for his third goal of the playoff season.

1:21 later, the Cyclones cut the Royals' lead in half with a power play goal by Matt Syroczynski. David Desharnais took control deep in Reading's defensive end and fed Syroczynski low in the left slot, where he got off a quick snap shot that beat Taylor high to the glove side. Reading rebuilt the two goal lead a 3-1 at the 13:47 mark of the second, with a four-on-three power play goal by Zappala. Jarrett fed Hersley in the left circle for a one-timer. Although Hersley did not get all of the shot, the puck fluttered on goal, forcing Daigneault to make a stop. The rebound fell to the center of the crease where Zappala was able to slip it in for his first goal of the playoff season.

Reading took a three goal lead (4-1) 27 seconds into the third period with the second short-handed goal of the playoff season for Hooton. Cincinnati's T.J. McElroy set up for a shot in the high slot, which was blocked by a sliding Kevin Saurette. Hersley found the loose puck and dished to Hooton, who broke with speed through the neutral zone, slipped behind the Cyclone defense, cut to the right side of the net and beat Daigneault for his second of the night and fourth of the playoff season. Cincinnati bounced right back 4:31 into the third with the second goal of the night by Syroczynski. With the Cyclones playing with the man advantage, Olivier Latendresse took a shot from the high slot that Syroczynski deflected behind Taylor for his fifth goal of the playoff season.

The Cyclones cut the lead to one (4-3) with a goal credited to Latendresse at the 16:14 mark of the third period. Cincinnati threw the puck on net and, as Taylor attempted to make the stop, defenseman Conrad Martin crashed in front, sending Taylor tumbling to the ice as the puck slid into the net. Cincinnati brought full pressure at that point, which ratcheted up when Reading was assessed with back-to-back penalties that resulted in a fifty-nine second five-on-three power play for the Cyclones with 2:51 remaining in the game. As Hersley came out of the penalty box at the conclusion of the front-end of the five-on-three, he swooped into Reading's defensive end and stole the puck from a Cyclone who had set in the high slot for a shot. Hersley then broke hard to the Cincinnati end, deked Daigneault, and chipped a back-hander into the net for his first goal of the playoff season-and the team's fourth short-handed goal of the post-season-with just 1:42 remaining in the game. Cincinnati continued to press hard down the stretch, but Reading held fast with a sequence of blocked shots and stops by Taylor to take the 1-0 series lead.

The Royals face the Cyclones in Game Two of the North Division Finals on Saturday, April 26 (7:05 pm) at the Sovereign Center. The game night broadcast on Thursday 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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ECHL Stories from April 24, 2008


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