Royals Drop Final Trip to Elmira in Overtime, 4-3

Teams     Per: 1          2          3          OT

REA:              2          1          0          0= 3 

ELM:              1          1          1          1= 4

Records

REA: 38-15-3-2=71 (2nd East Division)

ELM:  29-24-0-6=64 (6th East Division)

Goaltenders

REA:  Knapp (OTL) 20-8-2-1 (42/46)

ELM: Fullerton (ND) (14/17) (24:00)

            Marotta (win) 10-16-0-1 (25/25) (40:26)

Power Play:

REA: 1-2

ELM: 2-4

Elmira, NY – The Reading Royals (­­­­­­­­OTL, 38-15-3-2=81) 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, 29-24-0-6=64), 4-3 in overtime, at First Arena in Elmira, New York.

In the fifteenth and final matchup of the regular season between Reading and Elmira, the Jackals scored early—and they scored late—to take the two points in overtime. The Jackals struck on their first attack of the night eighteen seconds into the game, and then overcame a two goal deficit, which included bagging a pair of power play goals (both by Lucas Bloodoff)—one to tie the game at three relatively early in the third period and then a second with just 34 seconds left in overtime to snap the Royals five game win streak over the Jackals.

First Period (2-1, Reading)

0:18 (1-0, Elmira) Elmira Goal

Seidel (19); Stefishin (multi-shot rebound chip in)

Elmira struck right off the hop on their first offensive sequence of the game. Directly after the opening face-off, Mike Seidel fired a low snap shot from the high slot, which Knapp kicked out with the right pad. The rebound came up the middle of the slot, where Taylor Stefishin settled, protected the puck and then turned and wheeled one on net, which Knapp rejected with the left pad. The rebound on that shot however, fell to the right side of the crease, where Seidel, who was following the play, beat everyone to the loose puck and chipped it up and over a sprawling Knapp for his nineteenth of the year.

3:00 (1-1, Tie) Reading Goal (Power Play)

Cruthers (13); Labelle and Marcou (snap shot from top of the left circle)

Reading quickly responded on the team’s first power play chance of the night. The power play unit settled the puck in the offensive zone with Cruthers controlling on the left half wall. He passed to Olivier Labelle along the goal line, and Labelle quickly returned the puck to Cruthers, who took a stride into the left circle and ripped a snap shot that blew by goaltender Travis Fullerton for his thirteenth of the year.

8:11 (2-1, Reading) Reading Goal

Alderson (6); Cruthers and Molle (snap shot from the top of the left circle)

The Royals took the lead off the rush relatively quickly after tying the game, when Cruthers sprang Brandon Alderson into the offensive zone. Alderson settled at the top of the left circle, while Cruthers drove the net and created a moving screen on Fullerton. Alderson drilled a snapper that buzzed by Cruthers and then by Fullerton for his third goal in three games—and his sixth of the season.

Second Period (3-2, Reading)

4:00 (3-1, Reading) Reading Goal

Wiles (21); Flemming (shot off the rush from right circle)

Reading chased Fullerton four minutes into the second period when Brett Flemming sprang Sean Wiles through the neutral zone with a perfectly placed stretch pass. Wiles took off on a semi-breakaway with an Elmira defenseman angling him to the outside as he carried deep into the right circle. Despite the pressure, Wiles protected the puck and was able to force a low shot on net that slid under and through Fullerton for his twenty-first of the season. At that point, Elmira swapped goaltenders with Sam Marotta coming on in substitution of Fullerton.

5:04 (3-2, Reading) Elmira Goal

Turgeon (1); Haney and Shamanski (wrist shot from the high slot).

The Jackals bounced back to cut the Royals down to one again just 1:04 later. A Reading defender tried twice to make a short touch-pass in the neutral zone, but the Jackals thwarted both of those attempts and forced the puck into the Royals’ defensive zone where Reading backed down too quickly, allowing Daniel Turgeon to gain possession in the high slot. He turned, wheeled and fired a snap shot that appeared to catch Knapp not fully prepared for the shot, and the puck buzzed home for Turgeon’s first in the ECHL.

Third Period (3-3, Tie)

4:27 (3-3, Tie) Elmira Goal (Power Play)

Bloodoff (8); Tolkinen and Nesbitt (backhand chop of a loose puck in the mid-slot)

The Jackals tied the game on their third power play opportunity of the game. Zach Tolkinen ripped a shot from the right point that didn’t make it through heavy traffic in front of the Royals’ cage. The puck bounded to the low slot where Thomas Nesbitt kept the play alive long enough for Lucas Bloodoff to take a wild, blind back-hand chop at the puck, which turned into a seeing-eye roller that slipped by Knapp, who was completely screened and unaware of the puck’s position, until it was rolling by him just inside the left pipe.

Overtime (4-3, Elmira)

4:26 (4-3, Elmira) Elmira Goal (Power Play)

Bloodoff 2 (9); Tuzzolino and Seidel (rebound punch back from low left slot)

The Jackals completed the two goal comeback with their second consecutive power play goal—this one of the four-on-three variety with just 34 seconds left in overtime. This time it was defenseman Nick Tuzzolino who fired the shot from the right point, but it was Lucas Bloodoff again who found the rebound (after a solid save by Knapp) for the punch back rebound game winner.

NOTES:

• The Royals scratches tonight were Kevin Sullivan (f), Matt Hatch (f) and Zach Davies (d) (21-day injured reserve).

• The Royals record remains at a season-best twenty-three games over .500 after tonight’s overtime loss (38-15-3-2=81), and the team remains in second place in the East Division.

• Tonight’s OTL marked the ninth ‘blown lead’ game of the year for the Royals—and the second game in the last three played in which the team was unable to hold a multi-goal lead.

• This marked the fifteenth and final match-up of the regular season between the Royals and Jackals. Reading finished the season series 9-3-2-1 against the Jackals this year.

• This was the fifth time this season that Reading and Elmira have had to go beyond regulation to resolve the game. Reading has gone 2-3 in those games, losing both games resolved in overtime (both at First Arena in Elmira) and going 2-1 in the shootout against the Jackals.

• Reading is now 5-5 in games that have gone beyond regulation this season. (0-3 in overtime; and 5-2 in the shootout).

• Ryan Cruthers (1g-1a) recorded his eighth multi-point performance of the season tonight. Cruthers, who leads the Royals with nineteen power play points (5g-14a), has 264 points (84g-180a) in 264 career games with the Royals.

• Brandon Alderson has scored a goal in each of his last three games with the Royals.

• Sean Wiles has four goals in his last five games.

• Defenseman Brett Flemming has recorded at least one assist in five of his last six games.

• Defenseman Mike Marcou recorded his fifteenth power play assist tonight, which is tied for the league lead amongst defenseman.

• Reading’s power play has scored 12 goals in the last 43 chances (27.9%) with the man advantage over the past thirteen games.

• The Royals penalty kill has given up at least one power play goal against in eight of the last twelve games, allowing 11 PPGA in 48 chances for the opposition (77.1%) in that time span.

NEXT UP FOR THE ROYALS

Reading Royals v Kalamazoo Wings

@ Santander Arena – Reading, PA

Saturday, March 14, 2015 (7:05 pm)

NEXT UP: The Royals return home to Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania, tomorrow (Saturday, March 14) @ 7:05 pm where the team will face the Kalamazoo Wings. Tomorrow night the Royals will celebrate “St. Hattrick’s” Day during which some lucky fan will win $10,000 if one of the Royals’ skaters scores a hattrick courtesy of Perfetto Insurance. The first 2000 fans fifteen and older will also receive a Royals’ rally towel as well as a voucher which can be redeemed for a Royals’ hat courtesy of Steve Moyer Subaru. Saturday we’re all GOING GREEN and as such all available tickets have been rolled back to the Green Ticket price: $12.00 courtesy of Fromm Electric. The Royals are also going to wear special green-themed jerseys on Saturday, which will be available for purchase on line after the game.

The game night broadcast for Saturday’s matchup 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 pm Eastern Time. 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 15 03-13