Royals Open Pre-Season with Win in Elmira, 4-1

REA:              3          1          0                      4          (Ouellette, Pre-Season Win 1-0-0-0)

ELM:              1          0          0                      1          (Conway, Pre-Season Loss 0-1-0-0)

Elmira, NY – The Reading Royals (­­­­­­­­­pre-season win, 1-0-0-0) of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League, defeated the Elmira Jackals (pre-season loss, 0-1-0-0), 4-1, in the pre-season opener for both clubs. The two teams will meet tomorrow (Saturday, October 11 @ 7:05 pm) in the pre-season finale at Santander Arena in Reading.

The Royals came storming out of the gates, outshooting the Jackals 18-7 in the first period, and bagging three goals in the first seven and a half minutes, and never looked back to win the first of the pre-season. Goaltender Martin Ouellette (1-0-0-0, 17/18) went the distance to pick up the win. Elmira’s Neil Conway (0-1-0-0 30/34) sustained the loss. The Royals went 1-4 on the power play. Elmira’s power play was held off board in five chances with the man advantage.

First Period (3-1, Reading)

1-0, Reading (1:22): Ford (1), Hughesman, Wiles (rebound from 15 feet)

Reading hit paydirt on the team’s second shot of the game. The Royals came through the neutral zone with speed. Sean Wiles carried down the left slot, and dropped to a trailing Adam Hughesman who fired a low snap shot that Elmira goaltender, Neil Conway, kicked out with the right toe. The rebound went right back up the gut, where defenseman Dan Ford corralled and buried for the first of the pre-season.

2-0, Reading (6:46) (Power Play): Heywood (1), Hughesman, Wiles (wrist shot from mid-right slot)

The Royals went up 2-0 on the team’s first power play chance of the pre-season. Wiles controlled off the left wall and slipped a diagonal-up cross ice feed to defenseman Jordan Heyward, who snuck it under Conway’s right pad 6:46 into the game.

3-0, Reading (7:32): Daniels (1), Molle (deflection of shot from left point)

Forty-six seconds later, Reading went up 3-0 when Bryant Molle fired a low shot from the left point that Justin Daniels deflected up and over the blocker arm of Conway for his first of the pre-season.

3-1, Elmira (10:23): Sundher (1), unassisted (off the rush, toe-drag and snap from low left circle)

Elmira got on the board 10:23 into the first when Reading was caught above the puck in the offensive zone at the conclusion of the team’s second power play chance. The Jackals’ Kevin Sundher took possession just below his own blue line and blew coast-to-coast down the left wing, toe-dragged inside the dot on the left circle and picked a gaping five-hole on goaltender Martin Ouellette for his first of the pre-season.

Second Period (4-1, Reading)

4-1, Reading (3:55): Hatch (1), Daniels (rebound off the rush after neutral zone turnover by Elmira)

The Royals rebuilt the three goal advantage early in the second when Justin Daniels forced a neutral zone turnover, carried down the left wing side, cut to the top of the crease, and got a shot. Elmira’s Conway rejected that bid, but a crashing Matt Hatch punched it home for his first of the pre-season.

Third Period (4-1, Reading)

No scoring in the third.

The Royals will play the team’s only home pre-season game tomorrow (Saturday, October 11 @7:05 pm) when they will face the Jackals at Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania. For that pre-season game, the Royals have joined forces with the SMG managed Santander Arena and the Greater Berks Food Bank to invite everyone to attend the game for FREE! Fans can gain admission to Saturday’s game simply by bringing and donating a canned good or non-perishable food item for the Food Bank that will be collected at the main entrance to Santander Arena tomorrow night.

The Royals open the 2014-15 season on Saturday, October 18, at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia, where the team will face the Wheeling Nailers. The home portion of the schedule will kick off the following Saturday (October 25, 2014 @ 7:05 p.m.) when the Elmira Jackals travel to Santander Arena. Royals’ season tickets are currently available. Call 610-898-7825 for more information or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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