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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Win Third Straight OT Thriller Over Cyclones, 4-3

November 26, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (2nd Atlantic Division, 11-6-0-0=22), 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 Cincinnati Cyclones (1st North Division, 7-5-5-1=20), 4-3 in overtime, at Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The victory was the third consecutive come-from-behind over-time win for the Royals, who trailed by two goals entering the third period. Reading is 10-2-0-0 in the team's last twelve games and 8-1-0-0 in the last nine. Defenseman Todd Perry picked the perfect moment to score his first goal of the season-1:14 into overtime to give the Royals the dramatic win. Goaltender Matt Dalton (win, 7-3-0-0; 22/25) won his third straight overtime decision. Cincinnati's Marc Cheverie (OTL, 6-2-2-1; 24/28) sustained his second overtime loss of the year but remained unbeaten in his last six starts (4-0-1-1). The Royals' power play streak without a goal has reached the last thirty consecutive chances over eight games (0-6). Cincinnati scored a power play goal (1-5) and a short-handed goal.

Reading struck first 5:13 into the game when Ben Gordon fired one out of the right wing corner that went off the skate of a Cincinnati back-checker and into the net for Gordon's fourth of the season. The Cyclones tied the game late in the first on a short-handed breakaway for Scott Reynolds who buried his chance over top of a sprawled out Dalton for his fifth of the year with 1:47 left in the opening frame.

The Royals got a golden opportunity to re-take the lead at the 7:13 mark of the second when Gordon was awarded a penalty shot after being hauled down as he made his way to the Cyclones' net. Gordon's bid was rejected by Cheverie and-to add insult to injury-Gordon was assessed with a goaltender interference penalty on the same play that resulted in his penalty shot. Cincinnati capitalized on that power play chance when forward Brett Robinson went coast-to-coast walked a Reading defender on the left wing side and fed to a charging Dustin Sproat at the top of the Reading crease for a re-direct over Dalton and Sproat's second of the season 8:16 into the period. The Cyclones stretched their lead to 3-1 at the 12:54 mark of the second when Sproat took a wild hack at a centering feed from Brian O'Hanley and caught all of it, drilling the puck high glove side on Dalton.

Although Reading could muster only thirteen shots in the first two periods, they were able to muster a comeback in the third, beginning with the fastest goal ever scored into a period by a Royal player at the Sovereign Center in the history of the team, when Ryan Cruthers bagged a hard snap shot out of the left circle 8 seconds into the third period. The Royals tied the game 1:16 later when Eric Castonguay forced his way down the slot to the top of the crease and slid one through Cheverie for his fourth of the season. The Royals pounded the pressure through the third, but the team's best play in the final period may have come on a wild scramble in and around the Royals net with less than a minute left in regulation, during which the Cyclones got several whacks at punching one through, but Dalton and his teammates somehow kept the puck above the goal-line.

The Royals started overtime with 1:57 worth of power play time; but a penalty early in OT by Andrew Sarauer evened the extra-session skaters at three apiece 28 seconds in. While playing three-on-three, Cruthers fed Perry high on the left side. Perry weaved his way to the left side of the Cyclone net and threw the puck into the crease, where it struck a Cincinnati skate and ricocheted into the net to give the Royals overtime wins in three consecutive games for the first time in team history.

The Royals return to action on Saturday night (November 27, 2010 @ 7:05) when the Florida Everblades make their first appearance of the season at the Sovereign Center. The first 1500 fans who are 21 or older will receive the first in a series of five beer glasses to be given away this season-this one courtesy of Miller Lite. The Royals game night 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 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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