Royals Get a Point in See-Saw Shootout with Elmira, 4-3

Teams     Per: 1          2          3          OT      SO

ELM:              1          1          1          0          1= 4 

REA:              1          2          0          0          0= 3

Records

ELM: 10-4-0-3=23 (t-1st East Division)

REA:  8-5-1-1=18 (5th East Division)

Goaltenders

ELM:  Fullerton (no decision) (7/9) (27:47); and Marotta (win) (3-2-0-1) (24/25) (3/4) (37:13)

REA: Knapp (no decision) (19/22) (44:53); and Ouellette (SOL) 4-3-1-1 (9/9) (1/4) (19:51)

Power Play:

ELM: 0-3

REA: 2-5

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals (­­­­­­­­­SOL, 8-5-1-1=18) of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League, were defeated by the Elmira Jackals (win, 10-4-0-3=13), 4-3, in a shootout at Santander Arena in Reading, PA.

In the fifth of fifteen match-ups of the season between Reading and Elmira, the East Division rivals traded leads in a see-saw battle that saw both teams pull their starting goaltenders; but still end up in a tie that required a skills competition for resolution. Reading scored first, but on the team’s first power play chance of the night, gave up a short-handed goal against to tie the game late in the first frame. Elmira struck early in the second to take their first lead of the game, but the Royals bagged back-to-back power play goals (including the second of the game for defenseman Adam Comrie) to re-take the lead after two. In the third, a perimeter snap shot snuck under the glove of goaltender Connor Knapp to re-tie the game which neither team could break from that point forward, ultimately requiring a shootout where the Royals fell for the first time (3-1)—and the Jackals won for the first time (1-3)—this year.

First Period (1-1, Tie)

9:36 (1-0, Reading) Reading Goal

Comrie (4); Caruso (snap shot from high slot)

Reading struck first when Michael Caruso won a puck battle at the defensive blue line and freed Adam Comrie for a rush up ice. Comrie carried inside the offensive blue line, straight down the middle and fired a hot snap shot that beat goaltender Travis Fullerton low to the glove side for Comrie’s fourth of the year.

16:08 (1-1, Tie) Elmira Goal (Short-Handed)

Florentino (2); Hart and Tassone (slap shot off the rush from mid-left circle)

The Jackals turned the special team table on the Royals, when the Royals were on the team’s first power play chance of the night. After Reading generated a quality scoring chance in the offensive end, Elmira gained possession and sprang a multi-player rush through the neutral zone. Rob Florentino, a right shot who played nine games for Reading last year, carried deep into left circle and blasted a high, hard shot from just above the face-off dot that beat goaltender Connor Knapp to the glove side for his second of the year—and the fourth short-handed goal of the year against Reading.

Second Period (3-2, Reading)

1:37 (1-2, Elmira) Elmira Goal

Stefinshen (6); Nesbitt (snap shot from left side of slot)

Elmira took their first lead of the game early in the second period, when Taylor Stefishen set for a snap shot from the left side of the slot. His shot appeared to deflect off the right shin pad of Reading defender Bryant Molle and dip low stick side on Knapp for Stefishen’s sixth of the year.

7:47 (2-2, Tie) Reading Goal (Power Play)

Marshall (6); Reid and Lamarche (snap shot from top of right circle)

Reading re-tied the game fifty-nine seconds into the team’s second opportunity with the man advantage. After being thwarted in the early phases of the power play, David Marshall wound it up from the neutral zone, carried with speed to the top of the right circle and uncorked a bar-down bullet for his sixth of the season. That goal, which came on the ninth shot of the game for Reading, chased goaltender Travis Fullerton in favor of Sam Marotta, who was with the Royals’ during the pre-season and who had to make a number of quality stops in the twenty-five shots he would face from that point forward.

18:44 (3-2, Reading) Reading Goal (Power Play)

Comrie 2 (5); Marcou and Cruthers (snap shot from deep in the right circle)

Reading laid it on thick during the team’s third opportunity with the man advantage late in the second. The team loaded Comrie up for several big bombs; but his second goal of the night came when the team re-set in the neutral zone, entered with numbers and speed and found Comrie sniping low in the right circle for a low laser that beat the goaltender Sam Marotta to the short-side.

Third Period (3-3, Tie)

5:09 (3-3, Tie) Elmira Goal

Tassone (6); Nesbitt and Tuzzolino (snap shot from high in left circle)

Eighteen seconds after the Royals’ Sean Wiles came out of the penalty box for a boarding minor, Elmira tied the game. Matt Tassone took control high in the left circle and snapped one towards the Royals’ net that appeared to float under the catching glove of Knapp for Tassone’s sixth goal in just seven games played. That goal chased goaltender Connor Knapp, as Martin Ouellette took over the defense of the pipes for the time remaining time in regulation, the overtime session, and ultimately the shootout.

Overtime (3-3, Tie)

NO SCORING

For the third time in the five games between the Royals and Jackals, resolution required extra time—and for the second time, overtime would not be enough, as neither team could solve the other in the 65 minutes of hockey action.

Shootout (4-3, Elmira)

Elmira wins shootout 3-1

First Shooter: ELM, Jacobs (SCORED); REA, Cruthers (SCORED)

Second Shooter: ELM, Tassone (SCORED) (SHOOTOUT WINNER); REA, Hughesman (stopped)

Third Shooter: ELM, Seidel (stopped); REA, Reid (stopped)

Fourth Shooter: ELM, McPherson (SCORED); REA: Marshall (stopped)

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NOTES:

• The Royals scratches were: Jordan Heywood (d) (healthy), Matt Hatch (f) (healthy), Brock Higgs (f) (healthy), and Willie Coetzee (signed to ECHL SPC today) (healthy).

• Goaltender Martin Ouellette is unbeaten in his last five decisions (3-0-1-1). Tonight marked his first shootout loss as a pro.

• Adam Comrie became the third Royals’ player this season to score two goals in a single game this season, joining Brett Flemming and David Marshall. Comrie’s second goal tonight was his team-leading fourth power play goal of the season.

• Marshall’s PPG tonight was his third goal scored with the man advantage, which is second most on the team.

• Reading gave up the team’s fourth short-handed goal of the year tonight, which ties the most SHGs allowed in the ECHL this season.

• The Royals bagged a pair of power play goals, marking the fifth time this season that Reading has scored more than one PPG in a single game. The Royals have scored at least one power play goal in eleven of the fifteen games played so far this season.

• Defenseman Mike Marcou extended his personal point and assist streak to seven games (0g-7a) with his helper on Comrie’s second goal of the night.

• Ryan Cruthers’ assist was his 235th career point with Reading (73g-162a) in 227 games with the team.

NEXT UP FOR THE ROYALS

Reading Royals v Greenville Road Warriors

@ Santander Arena – Reading, PA

Friday, November 28, 2014 (7:30 pm)

NEXT UP: The Royals take on the Greenville Road Warriors for the first time this season on Friday (7:30 pm) at Santander Arena in Reading. That night, fans will be entertained by Star Wars’ characters Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. It is also a Free Shirt Friday courtesy of V&M Towing when the first 1500 fans 15 years of age and older will get a t-shirt honoring Rich Peverley, who is one of the twenty-nine players in the history of the Royals to advance from the team to play in the National Hockey League.

Friday’s game night broadcast can be heard live on CBS SportsRadio 1240 am and 98.5 in Reading, Pennsylvania, starting with the pre-game warm-up show presented by Highmark Blue Shield at 7:00 pm. Streaming audio is available free of charge on the Royals’ website (follow the ‘headset’ icon); and streaming video is available on a pay-per-view basis through ECHL.TV.

For more information about the Royals, call 610-898-7825 or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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