Royals Sail to Second Consecutive Comeback Win over Admirals, 4-2

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Teams     Per: 1          2          3

NOR:              1          1          0 =2

REA:              0          2          2 =4

Records

NOR: 5-8-0-0 = 10 (T-4th East Division)

REA: 8-4-0-0 = 16 (2nd East Division)

Goaltenders

NOR: Rimmer (loss) 4-7-0-0 (31/34) (58:47)

REA: Ouellette (win) (4-2-0-0) (21/23)

Power Play:

NOR: 0-4

REA: 1-5

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals (­­­­­­­­­win, 8-4-0-0=16) of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, defeated the Norfolk Admirals (loss, 5-8-0-0=10), affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL, 4-2, at Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania.

For the second consecutive game, the Royals gave up the first goal to the Admirals—and trailed twice—only to climb their way back in and bag a third-period tie-breaking game winner on the power play. In this one, it was Robbie Czarnik who notched the power play GWG 1:32 into the third period to break a 2-2 tie, while goaltender Martin Ouellette and the Reading defense held strong down the stretch, as the Royals pushed the team’s win streak on home ice to five.

Norfolk capitalized on the Royals’ first power play chance of the night 13:26 into the first period, when Czarnik was pick-pocketed while trying to make entry into the offensive zone by Alexandre Ranger, who was then off to the races on a 120 foot short-handed breakaway. Ranger didn’t waste the chance, drilling a snap shot from in tight that beat Ouellette to the glove side for his fifth of the year.

Reading turned up the juice in the second period (outshooting Norfolk 15-4) and finally hit pay-dirt 13:26 into the middle frame when defenseman Nick Luukko started a line rush with a perfect pass from the defensive zone to a charging Joe Rehkamp, who took the feed on the fly in the neutral area. Rehkamp cut directly down the gut into the offensive zone and slipped a saucer to the left side of the slot, where a flying Matt Hatch skated onto the puck, didn’t slow notch and drilled a snap shot from eight feet off the top of the crease behind goaltender Ty Rimmer for his third of the year.

Norfolk bounced back, however, 1:50 later. Defenseman Samuel Noreau eliminated Czarnik with a questionable high hit up high in the Reading offensive end and then started a rush in the other direction. The Admirals’ Josh Currie ended up with the puck on the right half wall where he settled and slipped a perfect pass to a spot just inside the blue line in the middle of the ice where Noreau, who was joining late, stepped up and uncorked a bullet that blew by Ouellette for his first to of the year.

1:57 after that the Royals’ re-tied the game at two, when Cam Reid set one on a tee for Adam Comrie who rifled a low hot rocket from the high slot that slid under and threw Rimmer for Comrie’s seventh of the season.

Reading started the third period on a power play and capitalized with one second left in the man advantage on a rush started by Comrie from the defensive zone. Mike Pereira charged down the left wing side into the offensive end and found Czarnik floating into a soft seam in the mid-slot. Czarnik, who had several Norfolk defenders encircling him, settled just long enough to snap the puck up and over the catching hand of Rimmer for his sixth of the season and what would prove to be his second game winner of the year.

As the third period progressed, the chasing Admirals turned the dogs loose, but the Royals defense stood strong and held Norfolk to just three total third period shots. In the last ninety seconds, Norfolk turned up the pressure cooker another notch by pulling the goaltender and pulling out all the stops in Reading’s end of the ice. However, a strong clearing attempt by Comrie behind the Reading net and then an even stronger play at the defensive blue line by Hatch resulted in a clean and clear bid at the empty net. Although Hatch whiffed a bit at his original bid, he maintained his composure and stuffed the puck home for his second of the night and fourth of the season to ice things with just 1:02 left in regulation.

The Royals are off until Friday (November 20 @ 7:00 pm) when the Elmira Jackals return to Santander Arena in Reading, PA. That night, the Royals will celebrate ‘Hunger Games’ Night and will host a post-game ham shoot courtesy of Redner’s Market. The game night broadcast for Friday’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 4:30 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.

Season Tickets for the 2015-16 Reading Royals ECHL season are currently available. For more information about the Royals, call 610-898-7825 or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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