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ECHL Reading Royals

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April 14, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


TOP NOTES OF WEEK NUMBER ONE OF PLAYOFFS

1. The Royals split the first two games of the best-of-seven North Division Semi-Final Playoff Series against the Elmira Jackals, losing Game One 1-0 in Elmira on Friday and winning in overtime 5-4 at the Sovereign Center on Saturday. This is the eighth playoff series in team history, and the Royals are 4-3 in the seven prior playoff series played by the team. Overall, the Royals have played in 29 playoff games in team history and have compiled a record of 15-14 in those games.

2. The 1-0 shutout loss on Friday in Elmira marked the third time in team history that Reading has been held off the scoreboard in a playoff game. In Game One of the National Conference Finals on April 28, 2004, Rob Zepp of the Florida Everblades shut the Royals out 1-0; and on April 14, 2005, in Game One of the North Division Semi- Finals, Scott Fankhouser of the Toledo Storm blanked the Royals 1-0.

3. The 5-4 overtime victory for Reading on Saturday night was the second time in team history that the Royals have won a playoff game in overtime. The other overtime win in Royals' team history came in Game One of the Northern Division Finals on April 17, 2004, Reading's Judd Medak scored in overtime to give the Royals a 2-1 win over the Peoria Rivermen.

4. The Royals trailed the Elmira Jackals 3-0 entering the third period on Saturday night. During the regular season, the Royals trailed as they began the third period twenty-nine times and came back to pick up at least one point in the standings seven times. Reading was 3-22-4 in those circumstances during the regular season.

5. Dany Roussin scored the first goal for the Royals in the playoff series against the Jackals twenty-three seconds into the third period on Saturday. Roussin also scored the second goal for Reading and assisted on the third (to tie the game at three) in that game. Prior to this series, Roussin, who is in his third year of pro hockey, played in one playoff game during his pro career. That was Game Four of the best of five North Division Semi-Final series against the Wheeling Nailers on April 17, 2006. Roussin picked up an assist in that game, which the Royals lost 5-4, giving the Nailers the series three games to one.

6. Brock Hooton scored the game winner, while the Royals were playing short-handed, 1:25 into overtime on Saturday. Hooton also scored a short-handed game winner in the Royals second game of the regular season-a 6-4 win over the Johnstown Chiefs on October 20, 2007. Hooton, who led the Royals this season with five game winning goals during the regular season, also was tied for the team lead with three short-handed goals in the regular season. Hooton, a second year pro, scored one goal in four playoff games last year with the Phoenix Roadrunners.

7. Chris Blight scored the Royals fourth goal (to re-tie the game at four) when he deflected Patrik Hersley's shot with 7:36 remaining in regulation on Saturday. During his first season of pro, 2005-06, Blight was the third leading scorer on the Toledo Storm (4g-8a=12pts in 13 games) in that team's run to American Conference Finals.

8. Patrick Jarrett assisted on the first three goals scored by the Royals on Saturday. Jarrett registered nine multi-assist games during the regular season, including two other games in which he had three assist performances.

9. Kevin Saurette also picked up three assists on Saturday night, including one on the short-handed game winner by Brock Hooton. Saurette had nine multi-point games over the course of the regular season, but this marked the first time this year that he registered three points in a single game. Saurette played all four games in the Royals North Division Semi-Final series against the Wheeling Nailers in 2006, and he scored the final goal of the year for Reading, tying that game at four, in what proved to be a 5-4 loss for the Royals in the final game of the year.

10. The Royals scored three goals on Saturday night while playing with the man advantage. During the regular season, the Royals scored three (or more) power play goals eight times and compiled a record of 8-2-1 in those games. In 23 regular season games when the Royals scored two or more power play goals, the team compiled a record of 15-5-3.

CLOSING NOTES

1 P.J. Atherton scored the Royals' third goal 7:06 into the third period to tie the game at three on Saturday night. This is the first playoff series of Atherton's two year pro career, although he was a member of the University of Minnesota's national championship team in 2003.

2. Saturday's game marked the fourth pro playoff win in the two-year career for goaltender Danny Taylor, who went 3-1 with a 2.51 goals against average and a .917 save percentage with the Texas Wildcatters in the 2007 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs.

3. Malcolm MacMillan registered an assist on the Royals' fourth goal on Saturday. MacMillan played in all four playoff games for the Royals in the 2006 North Division Semi-Final series against the Wheeling Nailers. MacMillan picked up two assists in that series.

4.Patrik Hersley picked up an assist in his first North American playoff game. Hersley is currently tied for the team lead in plus minus (with Shawn Germain), playing to a (+1) in the first two games.

5. Shawn Germain registered an assist in his first playoff game as a Royal. Germain played seven playoff games in 2006 with the Oklahoma City Blazers in the Central Hockey League. Germain scored a goal and picked up an assist in that playoff run with the Blazers.

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