ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Thrashed by Walleye, 7-3

Published on March 13, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (1st Atlantic Division, 38-19-2-381), 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 Toledo Walleye (4th North Division, 29-28-3-163), 7-3, at Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals scored first and held three separate leads through the first half of the game-but the second half belonged to the Wallleye, who rang off five straight goals to send the Royals reeling.

Reading's Daren Machesney (loss, 2-13-0-0, 43/50) repeatedly kept the Royals alive, particularly in the first period when he faced a twenty-six shot barrage from the Walleye, but sustained the loss in his first appearance for the Royals. Toledo's Thomas McCollum (win, 8-6-0-1, 21/24) had a comparatively relaxing afternoon against a disjointed Reading attack. The Royals first two goals of the game came while playing with the man advantage (2-3). For the third straight game, the Walleye power play touched up the Royals' penalty kill for two power play goals (2-6).

Reading struck 13:53 into the first while playing with a two-man advantage. After a clear from the defensive zone by the Toledo penalty kill, Machesney came out of the net to start a Reading rush while the Walleye were changing the PK unit, which allowed Ryan Cruthers an easy entry into the offensive end. Cruthers worked it to Denny Urban, who slid it back to Cruthers, who in turn threw a cross-crease pass from deep on the left side to Andrew Sarauer, who was waiting on the back-door. Sarauer ripped a one-timer from low on the right side for his eighteenth of the year. Toledo continued a relentless attack through the first and finally broke through when a failed clear by the Royals turned into a shot from top of the left circle by defenseman David Phillips. Machesney made the save, but the rebound fell out in front of him, and Phillips, who followed his shot, punched it back through for his second of the year at the 18:14 of the first.

Reading took a 2-1 lead 10:59 into the second with a power play goal by Yannick Riendeau. Reading's power play unit worked the puck around until Urban slipped the puck to Cruthers who fired from the mid-slot. McCollum made the save but the rebound bounded to the low left slot, where Riendeau corralled and fired top shelf for his twelfth of the year. Seven seconds after that goal, the Royals' Casey Haines was assessed with a slashing penalty; and seven seconds after that Toledo's Kyle Page fired a slap pass from the left side to a waiting Kyle Rogers, who redirected the puck by Machesney to tie the game at two.

1:16 after that, the Royals took their third (and what would prove to be final) lead of the game when Vladimir Nikiforov carried deep into the offensive end on the left wing side and cut towards the middle of the ice. A Toledo defenseman got a piece of the puck, poking it off the stick of Nikiforov but directly to the stick of John Scrymgeour, who ripped it bar-and-in for his tenth of the year. But 2:56 after that, the Walleye tied the game for the third time, when Willie Coetzee beat the Reading defenders to a loose puck in the Royals' defensive zone after a seemingly harmless dump-in and started a passing sequence that ended when Randy Rowe sent one from the mid-slot that somehow slipped through for his sixteenth of the year.

1:22 after that (16:49 into the second), the Walleye took their first lead of the game when defenseman Sebastien Piche slipped down the left side of the Royals' defensive zone completely unfettered, stick-handled around an unprotected Machesney, and roofed a snap shot for his eighth of the season. 1:17 after that, the Walleye opened it up with a four-on-three power play goal by Piche that came off a hard rocket from the high slot. In the third, Toledo added two more for good measure-a shot from the top of the crease by John May 2:45 into the final period; and a breakaway by Rowe with 9:58 left in the game. But the damage had already been done by that point against the Royals, who had neither the energy nor apparent inclination to muster a credible comeback effort in this one.

The Royals are off until Friday (March 18 @ 7:05 pm) when they will kick off a three game set against the Elmira Jackals at the Sovereign Center. The Royals game day broadcast will kick off with the pre-game warm-up show presented by The Works at Wyomissing on the Royals Broadcast Network (WRAW 1340 am in Reading, www.1340wraw.com) at 6:35 pm. You can also catch all of the Royals away games this season on Royals TV exclusively on BCTV courtesy of Boscov's Travel, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Season tickets for the Royals' 2010-11 season are currently available. To become a part of Royals hockey, call 610-898-PUCK or log onto www.royalshockey.com .

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