Royals Pull Away in Elmira for Third Straight on the Road, 6-2

Elmira, NY – The Reading Royals (win, 13-9-1-0=27) of the ECHL, affiliate of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League and the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, defeated the Elmira Jackals (Loss, 9-13-1-2=21), 6-2, at First Arena in Elmira, New York.

The Royals won their third straight—all on the road—tying a season high with goals against the Jackals. Reading scored essentially on the team’s first shot of the night; but got the big goal with just one second left in the second period on a long breakaway pass to T.J. Syner, who just stepped out of the penalty box and finished to give the Royals two goal lead into the third period.

Reading struck early when Louie Caporusso got his own rebound off the left pipe when he fired one out of the right circle. Caporusso followed his shot and beat the puck through Maxime Clermont (Loss, 4-7-0-1, 31/37) for his sixth of the year 1:02 into the game. The Royals built a 2-0 when Mike Banwell fired a hard shot off the right point that Clermont kicked out with the right pad; but directly towards a charging Dustin Gazley, who quickly snapped it home his seventh of the season 11:10 into the first.

Elmira got on the board 13:27 into the first when a failed clear turned into a golden scoring chance for Elmira defenseman Kyle Bushee. He didn’t waste the chance, burying his fourth of the season with a low, hard snap shot on Riley Gill (win, 9-5-0-0, 20/22).

The Jackals tied the game at two 13:03 into the second on another failed clear by Reading, when Jordan Pietrus forced a cough up to Ludwig Karlsson in the left circle. As everyone focused on Karlsson, he slid a diagonal down pass to the right side of the crease where a waiting Rob Bellamy had all day for a slam dunk.

Reading regained the lead 14:29 into the second when Yannick Tifu fired a pass out of the left corner that deflected off an Elmira shin pad and fell directly to Doug Clarkson in the left circle. Clarkson saw lots of net and drilled it home for his first of the year—and what would prove to be the game winner.

The Royals stuck a dagger in the Jackals’ heart at 19:59 of the second when T.J. Syner, who had just served a two minute minor for tripping, stepped out of the penalty box and took a 120 foot pass from Marvin Degon for a clean breakaway, which he finished with a quick snapper low blocker for his sixth of the season.

Reading added a pair in the third, including a short-handed break and slap shot by Michal Cajkovsky—his second goal in three games—and a beautiful give-and-go between Gazley and Syner, which Syner finished with a hot snapper out of the left circle to add insult to injury; but the damage had already been done in this one as the Royals ran the team’s record to 8-2-1-0 on the road this season.

The Royals return home to face the Kalamazoo Wings tomorrow (Saturday, December 27 @ 7:05 pm) when the first 2000 fans fifteen years of age and older will get an 8” x 10” canvas Championship Team Picture courtesy of Stankiewicz Construction.  The game night broadcast on CBS Sports Radio 1240 am and 98.5 will kick off with the Highmark Blue Shield Warm-Up Show at 6:35 pm.

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