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ECHL Reading Royals

Stingrays Outpace Royals, 8-5

January 22, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


North Charleston, SC - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (22-15-1-3=48, 1st East Division), affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, were defeated by the South Carolina Stingrays (29-9-2-4=64, 1st South Division), 8-5, at the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, South Carolina. In a game chocked full of crazy hops and wild bounces, the Stingrays scored first and were able to stay out in front of the Royals, who kept clawing back to no avail. Reading goaltender Matt Dalton (Losss, 13-10-0-2; 24/32) couldn't buy a break in his first game against the Stingrays; while Shane Connelly (Win; 8-7-2-1; 33/38) kept his unbeaten record in tact since arriving to South Carolina from Johnstown (5-0-1-0). Reading got two power play goals (2-7) and a short-handed penalty shot goal from Andrew Sarauer. South Carolina scored three power play goals in four chances with the man advantage (3-4).

The Stingrays started the scoring fest 7:03 into the game with a power play goal. Trent Campbell made a perfect pass off the right half wall to Keith Johnson, who was wide open and all alone in front of the Royals' net. Johnson converted for his seventeenth of the year. Reading responded 2:35 later when Bryan Ewing sprang Sarauer for a breakaway. Sarauer went five-hole on Connelly for his seventh of the season to tie the game at 1-1. South Carolina took the lead (for what proved to be for good) at the 17:57 mark of the first when Keith Johnson chipped a pass from the right corner that deflected off the skate of a Reading defender and slid five hole on Dalton to make it 2-1 Stingrays. Fifty-eight seconds later, the Stingrays stretched their to 3-1 when Trevor Bruess fired a shot from just inside the blue line that deflected off the shin pad of a Reading defender and went straight to the tape of Gregg Johnson at the left side of the net, where he finished for his twelfth of the year.

South Carolina took a three goal lead (4-1) 5:59 into the second, when Michael Dubuc stole behind the Reading net, carried into the right circle and slid a pass to the low slot where Spencer Carbery was waiting for the one-timer, which went high stick side for his ninth of the season. Reading bounced back with a power play goal 13:01 into the second when Ryan Cruthers ripped one off the top of the left circle that Olivier Labelle deflected into the upper right corner for his thirteenth of the year. Reading then drew within one (4-3) when Sarauer was awarded a short-handed penalty shot with 50.7 seconds left in the second. Sarauer did not waste the chance, as he went low stick side on Connelly to become the second Royal in team history to score two penalty shots in one season (Greg Hogeboom being the other).

The flood gates opened up in a six goal third period, starting 23 seconds into the period, when Michael Dubuc scored his tenth of the year with a one-time rocket off the top of the right circle while the Stingrays were on the power play (5-3, South Carolina). Reading answered with a power play goal of their own 1:17 later on a crazy multi-shot goal started by Bryan Ewing and ended by Ben McLeod when he punched in his tenth of the year. South Carolina bounced right back at 4:46 of the third to re-gain the two goal lead when Rob Ricci punched in a rebound chance after Matt Scherer fired one on Dalton off the rush (6-4, South Carolina). Once again, the Royals drew within one with another goal by McLeod, when he went bar-and-in from out front after a brilliant pass by Jimmy Fraser off the right wall. But the Stingrays immediately answered with a dagger-to-the-heart goal 18 seconds later-once again off the rush, with Dain Prewitt sliding this one under Dalton for his fifth of the year. South Carolina picked up a power play goal with 1:25 remaining to re-build a three goal buffer when another crazy hop that appeared to go off the shin-pad of Trent Campbell ended up in the net.

The Royals and Stingrays go at it again tomorrow night (Saturday, January 23, 2010 @ 7:05 pm). The Royals game night broadcast on the Royals Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast will kick off with the pre-game warm-up show at 6:35 pm.

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