Royals Win Another One Goal Squeaker in Evansville, 4-3

Teams     Per: 1          2          3

REA:              2          1          1= 4 

EVN:              2          1          0= 3

Records

REA: 15-9-1-1=32 (4th East Division)

EVN:  8-13-1-2=19 (6th North Division)

Goaltenders

REA:  Knapp (win) 6-5-0-0 (31/32)

EVN: Dreieger (loss) 5-10-1-1 (28/32)

Power Play:

REA: 0-4

EVN: 0-4

Evansville, IN – The Reading Royals (­­­­­­­­­win, 15-9-1-1=32) 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 Evansville Icemen (loss, 8-13-1-2=19), 4-3, at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.

In the second in two nights against in Evansville, the Royals took another one-goal squeaker on the strength of late a third period tie-breaking game winner from Cam Reid. Despite coming out of the gates hard, the Royals found themselves trailing by two mid-way into the first period before launching what would prove to be the team’s seventh come-back win of the year—and the third come-from-behind win in the team’s last five played. Connor Knapp made several big stops to pull out his sixth win of the year. This marked the third consecutive road victory for the Royals who are 6-1-0-0 in the team’s last seven games.

First Period (2-2, Tie)

8:52 (1-0, Evansville) Evansville Goal

Murray (4); Kennedy and Wong (wrap around sweep wrister from right side of the net)

Despite the fact that Reading came storming out of the gate and generated at least three Grade-A scoring chances in the first five minutes (all of which were rejected by goaltender Chris Driedger), it was the Icemen who struck first. In the midst of a sustained sequence of offensive pressure, Brandon Wong took a snap shot from deep on the left side that hit the side of the Royals’ net. The puck fell behind the cage, where Colin Murray took control, carried out on the right side, and turned and swept a wrap-around-styled wrister that slid under goaltender Connor Knapp’s left pad for Murray’s fourth of the year.

10:14 (2-0, Evansville) Evansville Goal

Kerbashian (7); MacKenzie (two-on-one weak side finish with wrister)

1:22 later, the Icemen stretched the lead to two, when they converted a defensive zone turnover by the Royals into a two-on-one. Jim MacKenzie took possession off the turnover deep on the left and slipped a cross-ice feed to Kyle Kerbashian, who snuck down on the right side, accepted the saucer and drilled a hot bullet by Knapp for his seventh of the season.

13:53 (2-1, Evansville) Reading Goal

Wiles (6); Davies and Reid (rebound punch back from off the top of the crease)

About three-and-half minutes later, Reading broke through when defenseman Zach Davies fired a shot from the left point that went through a maze of traffic. Driedger made a nice left pad save, but the puck kicked directly back into the low slot where Sean Wiles had the inside track. Wiles settled and slipped the puck into the open side of the net for his sixth of the season.

18:13 (2-2, Tie) Reading Goal

Labelle (8); Marcou and Davies (rebound snap shot from low slot)

Reading tied things up late in the first after an extended sequence of aggressive net pressure from the line of Olivier Labelle, Ian Watters, and Pat Mullane. After grinding the puck around the net, the Royals got the puck back to the point, where Davies moved it d-to-d left to right, where Mike Marcou settled and fired. Driedger made the save, but the rebound bounded to the low slot. Oliver Labelle stepped in a swiped the puck stick side for his eighth of the year.

Second Period (3-3, Tie)

12:13 (3-2, Evansville) Evansville Goal

Kennedy (6); Murray and Wong (wrist shot from low on right side)

Evansville re-took the lead mid-way into the game after sending the puck into Reading’s defensive end from well behind the center red-line. It appeared that the Reading defender won the race to the dots; but the icing was waved and a puck battle ensued behind the Reading net, which was won by the Icemen. Colin Murray took control below the goal line and slid the puck to the low right slot, where Patrick Kennedy stepped in and fired a quick shot that slipped through for Kennedy’s sixth of the year.

15:49 (3-3, Tie) Reading Goal

Mullane (9); Labelle and Watters (stick-handle and stuff from the top of the crease)

Reading tied the game for the second time after a strong forecheck by Olivier Labelle forced a turnover on the left wing wall. Ian Watters stepped in and took possession and slid a pass to Pat Mullane, who was wide open and all alone about five feet off the top of the crease. Mullane had more than enough time and space to stickhandle several times before stuffing the puck behind Driedger for his ninth of the season.

Third Period (4-3, Reading)

18:36 (4-3, Reading) Reading Goal

Reid (9); Marshall and Alderson (top shelf catch and release off the rush)

After thwarting several quality scoring chances for the Icemen in the third period, the Royals got a late third-period tie breaking game winner off the rush. Brandon Alderson took a d-zone pass deep on the left side of the neutral zone and fired a beautiful cross-ice pass to David Marshall, who was charging into the offensive end on the right side. Marshall, in turn, ripped a cross-ice bullet to Cam Reid who was streaking towards the net deep on the left. Reid caught the pass and quick-released it under the bar for his ninth of the year—and what proved to be his second game winner of the year.

NOTES:

• The scratches for the Royals tonight were: Jordan Heywood (d), Kevin Walrod (f) (ECHL Reserve), and Matt Hatch (f) (ECHL Reserve).

• Tonight’s win pushed the Royals’ record to the team’s high-water mark of six games over .500 for the sixth time this season.

• This marked the fifth time in the last six games that the Royals have played a one-goal decision. Reading has won four of those one-goal games in this sequence. Overall, the Royals are 9-4-1-1 in games decided by one goal.

• This marked the Royals’ third consecutive road win. The Royals also won three in a row on the road earlier this season (November 14 through 17).

• Reading has gone 6-1-0-0 in the team’s seven games.

• The Royals trailed twice in tonight’s game at 2-0 and 3-2 and came back to claim the two points. That was the seventh come-from-behind win of the season—and the third come-back win in the last five games.

• Sean Wiles extended his personal point streak to four games (3g-2a=5pts) with his sixth goal of the season tonight.

• Olivier Labelle scored his eighth goal of the season—and team career leading seventy-ninth as a Royal (79g-69a=148) in his 182nd career game with the team.

• Pat Mullane pushed his point streak to four games (1g-4a) with his ninth goal of the season tonight. Mullane has seventeen points (5g-12a) in his last fifteen games.

• Cam Reid also recorded his ninth goal of the season tonight. Reid, Mullane and Hughesman are all tied for the team lead in goals scored with nine.

• Zach Davies recorded his third multi-point game of the season (0g-2a) today.

• Goaltender Connor Knapp snapped a three game losing streak with the win tonight.

• Reading’s power play was held off the board for the fifth straight game (0-4) tonight. Reading’s PP has been blanked in seven of the last eight games and in nine of the last eleven. During that eleven game span, the power play has gone 3 for 40 (7.5%).

• The Royals penalty killers blanked Evansville’s power play on four chances with the man advantage tonight. That marked the sixteenth time this season that Reading’s PK held the opposition’s power play off the board. The Royals have gone 11-3-1-1 in those games.

NEXT UP FOR THE ROYALS

Reading Royals v Elmira Jackals

@ First Arena – Elmira, NY

Friday, December 26, 2014 (7:05 pm Eastern Time)

NEXT UP: The Royals kick off a stretch of three games in a row against the Elmira Jackals next Friday (December 26 @ 7:05 pm) at First Arena in Elmira, New York. The game night broadcast for nest Friday’s game 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 6:35. As with all Royals’ road games this season, next Friday’s game will be televised live in Berks County, Pennsylvania, on BCTV courtesy of Boscov’s Travel and Apple Vacations. 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.

End 14 12-20