Seesaw Scoring Swings Devils to 5-3 Win
February 12, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Trenton Devils News Release
Trenton, NJ - The Devils defeated the Reading Royals 5-3 Friday evening for the Trenton's second consecutive victory against the division rival. Trenton came out of each period with the lead, winning the most important battles in a closely fought contest. Dan Charleston had three points after missing two games, and Dave Caruso earned his third victory in the last five games, making 27 stops opposite Matt Dalton with 41 saves.
Two of the league's worst power play units did not exhibit their common weakness this evening, each team scoring twice on seven opportunities. Dan Charleston opened the scoring with a five-on-three power play goal at 19:07. Working the puck around the horn, Charleston received a pass at the right point from Tony Zancanaro. Tim Kunes received a pass from Charleston at the opposite point that was given right back for a one-timer ripped to the upper right corner, Charleston's second goal and seventh point in just seven games this season.
Trenton started the second with a slew of penalties, resulting in two Reading goals less than four minutes apart. Bryan Ewing knotted the game 1-1 on the power play at 1:55 by streaking down the right wing and firing a low wrist shot, eluding the blocker of Caruso, Ewing's 12th of the season. With just six second left on another Royals' power play, Ryan Cruthers sent a home run pass from deep in the Royals zone to Andrew Sarauer, camped out at the blue line behind the Devils defense. With just the goaltender to beat, Sarauer made a quick deke to beat Caruso through the five-hole for his 11th of the season.
Tony Zancanaro provided an answer to the Royals two goal outburst by evening the score 2-2 on a quick one-time snapshot from the slot on a feed from Jeff Prough on a play started by Jeremy Akeson barreling down the left wing boards. The even strength tally at 10:58 of the second put Zancanaro into second place for team goals and points.
Just under three minutes later, Dan Charleston won a battle in the right offensive corner, poking a diving pass to Slavomir Tomko at the point. Tomko found Justin Pender on the opposite side who cranked a hard slap shot along the ice that squeaked through the pads of Dalton for his seventh of the season and a Trenton lead at 13:55 which would carry the Devils into the third.
The third opened very similarly to the second as Reading scored just 1:33 into the period. Matt Dalton started the Reading rush with a great pad save to send his team the other way. With passes from Marc Cavosie and Scott Langdon, Ben Gordon fired a hard wrist shot from the left wing past Caruso for his 20th marker this season.
Rookie saves leader Matt Dalton made a number of dazzling saves in the third, but just he denied Dan Eves on a breakaway, he could not stop a onetime shot from Eves at 17:42, very similar to Zancanaro's goal in the second. Dan Charleston notched his second assist of the game, passing from the left wing corner to Eves in the slot, with the secondary helper coming from Ryan Ginand.
The only penalty of the third period came it the last two minutes of regulation, and with the goaltender pulled, the Royals had a six-on-four attack. Trenton answered with two quick clears and multiple defensive stands. Matt Vokes sealed the Devils victory with a shorthanded empty net goal fired from the defensive zone that had just enough on it to beat the back-checking Aaron Brocklehurst to the empty cage.
The Royals now own a four game losing streak, two against the Devils, now hold just a five point edge over Trenton for second place in teh East. The series shifts to Reading Saturday night, as the Royals (23-21-1-3, 50pts) seek revenge against the Devils (18-22-4-5, 45pts) at 7:05.
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