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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Win Pre-Season Opener in Elmira, 5-3

October 8, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA- The Reading Royals of the ECHL (Pre-Season: 1-0-0-0), 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 Elmira Jackals (Pre-Season 0-1-0-0), 5-3, in the team's pre-season opener at First Arena in Elmira, New York. The Royals scored first and never trailed; but needed a third-period short-handed goal from rookie John Scrymgeour to pull out the win. Andrew Sarauer added his second of the game-a power play goal in the third-to give the Royals a two-goal cushion down the stretch. Goaltender Adam Courchaine (win, 1-0-0-0; 23/26) made several critical stops to preserve the victory in his first game as a Royal. Elmira's Marco Cousineau (loss, 0-1-0-0; 30/35) suffered the loss. The Royals were unable to capitalize on a long first period sequence of five-on-three; but came through in the third with the man advantage (1-5). Elmira scored four seconds into a major power play in the third; but was unable to add to that in the extended sequence with the extra man (1-4).

Reading struck first 10:58 into the game when Louis Liotti fired a low hard wrist-pass from the high slot that Saraurer perfectly angled into the upper corner for his first of the pre-season. Elmira answered 1:18 after that when Eric Lampe charged down the left wing side and ripped a snap shot five-hole to tie the game at one. Reading re-gained the lead 2:51 into the second when Rob Kwiet fired a shot from the left point that Cousineau kicked out. John Mori corralled the rebound and fed Maxime Renaud, who stepped off the right point and fired a wrist shot that slipped by Cousineau for Renaud's first of the pre-season. Once again, the Jackals bounced back to tie the game 12:47 into the second when R.J. Anderson sprang Mark Magnowski into the offensive end. Magnowski fired from the low slot and Courchaine responded with a nice stop; but the rebound went right back to the blade of Magnowski's stick, and he stuffed it in to tie the game at two.

Reading grabbed the team's third lead of the game when Kwiet fired another shot from the left point that ricocheted off a body and directly to the stick of Walker Wintoneak who was crashing at the left side of the Elmira net. Wintoneak did a good job of taking possession and stuffing the puck in at the left pipe for his first of the pre-season with 3:34 left in the second. At the 4:14 mark of the third, the Royals' John Mori picked up a major penalty for kneeing. Four seconds into the major power play, the Jackals tied the game for the third time, when defenseman Brad Miller walked the line and fired a wrist shot from the high slot that appeared to deflect on the way in eluding Courchaine to make it a 3-3 game. Elmira did not break through again on the extended power play sequence, but the Royals did-when John Scrymgeour took a Casey Haines pass and broke down the slot towards the right side of the net. Although he was well covered, Scrymgeour was able to snap a back-hander top shelf for what proved to be the game winner at the 8:47 mark of the third. Reading added a power play goal at the 11:15 mark of the third, when Sarauer finished on a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play from Eric Castonguay to Ben Gordon to Sarauer, who swept the puck under Cousineau from the top of the crease. Reading held onto the two-goal lead down the stretch to pick up the win.

The Royals finish the pre-season when the take on the Trenton Devils at the Sovereign Center on Saturday (October 9) at 7:05 pm. Admission is free to all who have a coupon that can be obtained from the Reading Eagle. The Royals host the team's tenth anniversary home opener on Saturday, October 23, 2010 (7:05 pm), when the Elmira Jackals visit the Sovereign Center. Also, be sure to catch the Royals' season opener live from Trenton, New Jersey, (@ Trenton Devils Saturday, October 16, 2010 @ 7:00 pm)-and all of the team's away games this year-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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