ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Win Again in Wheeling, 4-2

January 27, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Wheeling, WV - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (17-18-3-340, 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, defeated the Wheeling Nailers (22-15-2-147, 2nd Atlantic Division), 4-2, at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia. This marked the fourth road win of the year over the Nailers for the Royals, who've beaten the Nailers three times at WesBanco and once at Cambria County War Memorial in Johnstown.

Goaltender Michael Hutchinson (win, 1-0-0-0, 40/42) kept the Royals afloat in the early going with several big stops and got even stronger as the game went on, making twenty-two saves in the third to win his first game in the ECHL this year. Wheeling's Peter Delmas (loss, 9-6-0-0, 15/18, 1 eng) suffered the loss in his first decision against the Royals. Reading's power play was blanked for the ninth time in the last eleven games (0-5). Wheeling's first goal was scored while they were playing with the man advantage (1-2).

Reading struck 11:58 into the game off the rush when Casey Haines slipped a between the legs pass to Matt Schepke who was breaking hard through the high slot. Schepke fired just inside the right pipe for his eighth of the year.

Wheeling tied the game at one with a power play goal 17:10 into the first. Paul Crowder found Chris Barton, who popped out and found a soft seam in the interior portion of the left circle. Barton fired a quick shot low to the right side the net for his twenty-second goal of the year.

Reading re-gained the lead 2:50 into the second when Todd Griffith took control deep in the left wing corner and fed to the middle of the ice, where Yannick Tifu was charging down the slot. Tifu got a shot on net, which Delmas kicked out, but the rebound slipped to the top of the right circle where Ray Macias stepped in and ripped it home for his fifth of the year.

Once again, Wheeling bounced back to tie 7:48 into the second after Hutchinson made a great save in tight on Andrew Hotham; but the rebound fell to the left circle where Nick Peterson took a quit shot that was deflected in by Peter Lenes for his fourteenth of the year.

Reading got what proved to be the game winner 9:58 into the third, when Schepke took possession behind the Nailers' net and found Haines sneaking into an open spot at the top of the crease. Haines got two whacks at the puck and hit pay-dirt on the second for his sixth of the season. Wheeling pressed hard down the stretch-outshooting the Royals 22-3 in the third; but the Hutchinson remained poised under pressure, and Everett Sheen added a one-handed 130 foot empty-netter to ice it for Reading and run the team's road record to 12-6-2-1.

The Royals return to action tomorrow (Saturday, January 28, 2011 @ 7:00 pm) at Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio against the Toledo Walleye. The game night broadcast on Saturday will start at 6:30 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. As with all Royals' road games this season, Saturday's game will be televised locally in Berks County Pennsylvania on BCTV courtesy of Boscov's Travel and the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

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ECHL Stories from January 27, 2012


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