Royals Weather Early Storm to Come From Behind and Beat Elmira, 3-1

Teams     Per: 1          2          3

REA:              0          1          2=3

ELM:              1          0          0=1

Records

REA: 36-14-2-2=76 (1st East Division)

ELM:  28-21-0-6=62 (5th East Division)

Goaltenders

REA: Knapp (win) 18-8-1-1 (34/35)

ELM: Fullerton (loss) 18-7-0-5 (27/30)

Power Play:

REA: 0-3

ELM: 1-4

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals (­­­­­­­­­win, 36-14-2-2=76) 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 (loss, 28-21-0-6=62), 3-1, at Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania.

In the thirteenth matchup of the year between the Royals and Jackals, Elmira came out storming—creating any number of early Grade-A scoring chances, each of which was rejected in a sterling performance by Reading goaltender Connor Knapp. It took a five-on-three power play for the Jackals to finally break through in the latter portion of the first; but that would be it for Elmira, as Reading re-grouped, finally solved Elmira goaltender Travis Fullerton on a second period penalty shot, and then got a pair in the third period to pull away and stretch the team’s home unbeaten streak to eight (7-0-0-1). With the win, the Royals pushed the team’s record to 8-3-1-1 against the Jackals, which served to clinch the “DeMet’s Candy Challenge Cup” for winning the season series with the geographic and intra-divisional rival Jackals.

First Period (1-0, Elmira)

14:12 (1-0, Elmira) Elmira Goal (Power Play)

Shamanski (12); Sundher and Tolkinen (slap shot from the top of the right circle)

The Jackals came out storming, but Reading’s goaltender, Connor Knapp, had an answer for everything—until Elmira was awarded 1:18 of five-on-three in the later stages of the first period. It only took twenty-two seconds of two-skater advantage for the Jackals to finally break through. Stephen Shamanski set for a blast from the top of the right circle with heavy traffic hindering the vision of Knapp. The low rocket blew by everyone, slipping by Knapp on the low stick side for Shamanski’s twelfth of the year.

Second Period (1-1, Tie)

15:25 (1-1, Tie) Reading Goal (Penalty Shot)

Reid (22) (snap shot from the right hash-mark)

The Royals’ progressively awoke from their apparent collective slumber beginning in the middle portion of the second period and began to push the pace on the Jackals. In the latter stages of the period, Reading attacked the net and created a wild flurry of scoring chances, which included hitting the pipe from in tight with bodies falling all around the blue paint. With the puck loose in the crease, one of the Jackals went to the ice and covered the puck with his glove, resulting in a penalty shot being awarded to the Royals. Reading chose Cam Reid to do the honors, and he didn’t waste the chance, snapping a hard shot from the right hash-mark, which Fullerton got a chunk of—but not enough to keep it from fluttering in the net and tying the game at one. That marked Reid’s team leading twenty-second goal of the year.

Third Period (3-1, Reading)

1:24 (2-1, Reading) Reading Goal

Wiles (18); Johnston and Flemming (tap in from the mid-to-low portion of the crease)

The Royals turned the tables early in the third and came out storming on the Jackals. Early in the period, Reading created another scramble around the top of the crease, and Andrew Johnston, who was crashing the net, was able to force a loose and bounding puck between the legs of Fullerton, who had come to the top of the crease trying to gain possession. The puck slid behind Fullerton and into the crease, where Sean Wiles, who was also behind Fullerton, was able to easily tap the puck into the unguarded net for his eighteenth of the year—and what would prove to be his fourth game winner of the year.

5:04 (3-1, Reading) Reading Goal

Hughesman (19); Labelle and Reid (backhand from the top of the crease)

Reading added a little insurance 3:20 later when Olivier Labelle slid a cross-crease pass from deep on the left side to the right side of the crease, where Adam Hughesman, who was cutting left-to-right across the low slot, took possession and back-handed the puck behind Fullerton for his nineteenth of the year.

NOTES:

• The Royals scratches tonight included: Kevin Walrod (f), Ryan Cruthers (f) (ECHL Reserve), Zach Davies (d) (21-Day Injured Reserve), and Kevin Sullivan (f).

• Reading has compiled a record of 15-1-1-1 in the team’s last eighteen games; and 27-6-1-1 over the last thirty-five.

• The Royals record currently stands at a season-best twenty-two games over .500 (36-14-2-2=76).

• Tonight’s win pushed the Royals current home unbeaten streak to eight (7-0-0-1).

• The win this evening pushed Reading’s record to 8-3-1-1 against Elmira with two more games to be played between the teams, which means that the Royals have clinched the season series and the DeMet’s Candy Challenge Cup.

• This evening’s win marked the seventeenth come-from-behind win of the year for Reading.

• The Royals are 15-0-0-0 when holding the opposition to one goal or less.

• With this win, the Royals pushed the team’s record to 9-2-2-0 when entering the third period tied with the opposition.

• Cam Reid’s penalty shot marked the third PS of the season for Reading. Matt Hatch scored on his short-handed penalty shot on January 9 against the Wheeling Nailers; Adam Hughesman’s penalty shot against the Brampton Beast (on January 10) was rejected.

• Reid (1g-1a) extended his personal point streak to five games (4g-6a=10pts). This marked Reid’s fifteenth multi-point game of the season. Reid has twenty-three points (10g-13a) in his last sixteen games.

• Sean Wiles (1g-0a) recorded his fourth game winning goal of the year tonight.

• Adam Hughesman (1g-0a) has twenty-six points (10g-16a) in his last twenty-two games.

• Olivier Labelle (0g-1a) has twenty-four points (9g-15a) in his last eighteen games.

• Goaltender Connor Knapp snapped a three game winless streak (0-1-1-1) with the thirty-four save win tonight. This marked the eighth time that Knapp has held the opposition to one goal or less.

NEXT UP FOR THE ROYALS

Reading Royals v Elmira Jackals

@ Santander Arena – Reading, PA

Monday, March 2, 2015 (7:05 pm Eastern Time)

NEXT UP: The Royals and Jackals go at it again tomorrow (Monday, March 2 @ 7:05 pm), at Santander Arena in Reading. The game night broadcast for Monday’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.

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