Royals Win Wild Back-and-Forth Game One of Kelly Cup Finals in OT

It Takes Five Separate Leads, But Reading Finally Closes out Stockton with Fifth Win of Playoff Season in OT

Reading, PA– The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League and the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, defeated the Stockton Thunder, 6-5, in overtime in Game One of the best-of-seven Kelly Cup Championship Final match-up between the Royals and Thunder at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. With the win, the Royals have taken a one game to none lead in the fourth round series. Reading scored first and held four different leads in regulation time; but could not hold off the Thunder on any of those. It was the team’s fifth lead of the game—9:42 into overtime on a goal Nikita Kashirsky—that proved decisive. For Reading it was also the fifth overtime win of the playoff season (5-1), tying an ECHL record which was established by Stockton (who are 5-2 in overtime) with their decisive OT win over the Alaska Aces in Game Six of the Western Conference Semi-Finals. Reading broke through early. Ethan Cox, who was called for a goaltender interference penalty just 1:15 into the game, came storming out of the penalty box and punched back the rebound of a Julien Cayer back-hander out of the right circle after Olivier Roy (OTL, 12-5-2, 43/49) made a pad save on the original shot. Stockton tied things at one 7:32 into the first when Shawn Wellar won the battle for a loose puck at the right side of the Royals crease after Riley Gill (win, 10-2-1, 25/3) stopped the original shot from the left point by Nathan Deck. For Weller, that proved his seventh of the playoff season. Reading took their second lead of the game 1:24 into the second period, when Mark Mitera fired from the left point, and Nikita Kashirsky angled a deflection from just below the left hash-mark that hit the left pipe, the cross-bar and the right pipe before falling to the right side of the crease, where T.J. Syner swiped it home for his sixth of the playoff season. The Thunder re-tied the game (this time at two) on a power play one-timer off the top of the left circle by Harrison Reed 10:01 into the second frame. The third period saw the see-saw battle between the Royals and Thunder escalate to epic proportion. The wild final frame kicked off with Stockton taking their first lead of the game 6:27 into the third when Gill juggled a shot from the high slot by Matt Reber and a driving Eric Hunter somehow forced the fluttering puck in for his third of the playoff season. Reading re-tied the game 9:18 into the third period, when Patrick Wellar freed the puck off the left wing wall to Yannick Tifu who drove down and through the left circle, ripping a bullet low short-side on Roy to make it three-three. The Royals took their third lead of the game 14:50 into the third period, when Tifu threaded one out of the left corner to the top of the crease where Nikita Kashirsky forced it through the legs of Roy for his fourth of the playoff season. That lead lasted all of 18 seconds. At 15:08 Nathan Deck ripped one from the left circle that tied the game for the fourth time at four. Reading took lead number four with just 47.5 seconds left when Alex Berry beat a loose puck through from the left side of the crease while the Royals were on the power play. But Stockton simply would not go away. In fact, with just 21.3 seconds left in regulation, Ryan Hayes deflected a shot by Andrew Clark out of the right circle that slipped by Gill and hit the right pipe and went in to tie the game for the fifth time at five-five. However, the Royals fifth lead proved to be the charm. Gill started the rush with a long pass from the defensive zone to a breaking Yannick Tifu, who ended up with four points on the night (1g-3a). Tifu carried the puck to below the goal line, where Kashirsky took over. Kashirsky stepped from below the goal line into the left circle, turned and wheeled 360 degrees and ripped a snapper across the body of Roy high glove for his second of the night and first playoff overtime game winner as a Royal. The Royals and Thunder play Game Two of the best-of-seven Kelly Cup Championship Finals tomorrow (Sunday, May 19 @ 4:05 pm) at Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. Sunday’s game night broadcast on CBS Sports Radio 1240 am and 98.5 fm will kick off with the pre-game warm-up show presented by Steve Moyer Subaru at 6:35 pm. Ticket information for the ECHL’s Kelly Cup Championship Finals matchup between the Reading Royals and the Stockton Thunder can be obtained by calling the Royals office (610-898-PUCK) or by logging onto the Royals website: www.royalshockey.com. KELLY CUP CHAMPIONSHIP FINALSReading Royals v Stockton Thunder READING LEADS SERIES ONE GAME TO NONEGame One: Reading 6 – Stockton 5 OT (Sovereign Center, Reading PA)Game Two: Sunday, May 19 (4:05 pm et) at Sovereign Center, Reading, PAGame Three: Tuesday, May 21 (10:00 pm et) at Stockton Arena, Stockton, CAGame Four: Friday, May 24 (10:30 pm et) at Stockton Arena, Stockton, CAGame Five (IF NECESSARY): Saturday, May 25 (10:30 pm et) at Stockton Arena, Stockton, CAGame Six (IF NECESSARY): Tuesday, May 28 (7:05 pm) at Sovereign Center, Reading, PAGame Seven (IF NECESSARY): Wednesday, May 29 (7:05 pm) at Sovereign Center, Reading, PA