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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Unable to Hold Off Hard-Charging Titans, 3-2

January 14, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Trenton, NJ - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (15-15-3-3=36, 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, were defeated by the Trenton Titans (13-16-3-3=32, 3rd Atlantic Division), 3-2, at Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, New Jersey. Reading scored first and led 2-1 early in the second, but couldn't hold off the Titans who mounted a successful comeback on the strength of a fifty-six shot attack. The loss dropped the Royals record this season to 1-3-1 against the Titans with eight games still to be played against the intra-divisional rival.

Paul Dainton (loss, 6-4-2-1, 53/56) made any number of spectacular saves under a withering attack from the Titans, but suffered the loss in his first start as a Royal. Brad Phillips (win, 4-6-0-0, 23/25) beat the Royals for the second time this season (2-1-0-0). The Royals power play was held off the board (0-2) for the third consecutive game (and the fifth time in the last six), while Trenton scored their first goal on their only power play chance of the night (1-1).

Reading struck first 9:23 into the game off the rush. A Titan defender had a play on the puck in the mid-slot, but poked it directly to the stick of John Scrymgeour, who was playing in his first game since December 16. Scrymgeour didn't waste any time, drilling a quick, hard shot high glove for his second of the season.

Trenton tied the game late in the first with a power play goal when Rob Bordson essentially went coast-to-coast for the PPG. Bordson carried into the offensive end straight down the middle, made a slight move to the left as he entered the mid-slot, powered his way around a Reading defender and shot back against the grain, beating Dainton low glove for his tenth of the year.

The Royals took their second lead of the game fifty seconds into the second. Tyler Brenner sprang Everett Sheen for a clean break through the neutral zone. Defenseman Derrick LaPoint joined the rush to make it a two-on-one. Sheen used LaPoint as a decoy as he carried deep into the right circle, where he fired across the body of Phillips for his fourth of the year.

Trenton bounced right back-forty-eight seconds later-to re-tie the game at two. The Titans attacked creating a mad scramble around the Royals' net. As Dainton came to the right side of the crease to make a play on a loose puck, he appeared to lose his balance and slide out of the picture, as Trenton's Ryan Hayes took possession and carried right to left behind and around the Royals' net. With Dainton trying to recover back into position, Hayes slid a pass from behind the net to the left side of the crease, where Bordson stepped in and forced it home for his second of the night and eleventh of the year.

The Titans got what proved to be the game winner 4:35 into the second after another sustained attack on the Royals' net. Steve Silva forced one towards the net from the right circle, and it appeared that Dainton was able to get his stick on the puck. But as he attempted to angle it away from the goal, the puck slid directly to the stick of Matt Germain, who quickly shot it top shelf for his ninth of the year.

Trenton kept the onslaught up throughout the remainder of the game, but Dainton was exceptional under the sustained pressure and gave the Royals a chance to make a stab at a comeback. But the chances that the Royals did get were thwarted by the Titans and Phillips to hand the Royals the loss, marking the thirteenth game this year in which Reading has had at least one lead in the game but failed to register the win (0-7-3-3).

The Royals return to action on Monday (January 16, 2012 @ 1:05 pm) for the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday matinee game-this year against the South Carolina Stingrays. It will be Kid's Day on Monday, and the first 1000 youngsters twelve years of age and younger will get a Royals' notebook courtesy of CTCE Federal Credit Union. There will also be a full team autograph session after the game. The game day broadcast on Saturday will start at 12:35 pm 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.

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