Royals Fall on Late Game Goal in Elmira, 4-3

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Teams     Per: 1          2          3

REA:              0          2          1=3

ELM:              2          1          1=4

Records

REA: 20-13-1-1 = 42 (3, North Division)

ELM: 8-21-5-0 = 21 (6, North Division)

Goaltenders

REA: Dekanich (ND) (9/11) (7:49)

          Ouellette (Loss, 5-4-0-0) (19/21) (50:07)

ELM:  Isles (Win, 4-13-3-0) (37/40)

Power Play:

REA: 0 – 3  

ELM: 0 – 4

Elmira, NY – The Reading Royals (­­­­­­­­­Loss, 20-13-1-1 = 42) of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, were defeated by the Elmira Jackals (Win, 8-21-5-0 = 21), 4-3, at First Arena in Elmira, New York.

In stark contrast to last night when Reading scored six first period goals, the Jackals jumped out to a 2-0 lead early on with a couple of less than stellar goals and, after the Royals battled back from a three goal deficit to earn a tie in the third period, a late game dump in by the Jackals’ Sebastien Sylvestre eluded goaltender Martin Ouellette, who had come on in substitution of Mark Dekanich, and proved to be the third period tie-breaking game winner.

Elmira came out with considerably more jump than last night, but the first goal came on a shot that does not ordinarily find pay-dirt. After a face-off in the neutral zone, Jackal defenseman Davis Vandane fired a sixty-five footer from deep on the right side in the neutral zone—well outside the offensive blue line—that clipped the inside portion of the blocker of Dekanich and buzzed under his armpit and into the net 6:05 into the game for Vandane’s third of the year.

1:44 after, the Jackals took a 2-0 lead on another less than spectacular goal, when the Jackals’ Charlie Mosey charged into the offensive zone down the right wing side and dropped the puck to a trailer, Matt Lane, who sent a snap shot along the ice that slipped between Dekanich’s legs for his third of the year. At that point, Reading swapped goaltenders with Martin Ouellette coming in for Dekanich at the 7:49 mark of the first period.

5:05 into the second period, the Jackals stretched the lead to three, when defenseman Greg Amlong led a rush into the offensive zone, forcing the puck towards the net from deep on the left side. Casey Thrush took a swipe at the loose puck. Ouellette made the stop on that shot, but the puck bounced to the low slot where Lane, who was unguarded, stepped in and swiped the puck up and over the right shoulder of Ouellette for his second of the game and fourth of the year.

Reading began the come-back effort 10:03 into the second when Jesper Pettersson stepped up from the left point and fired a shot into a pile of players. Goaltender Andy Isles made the stop but the rebound fell to the top of the crease, where Kevin Sundher quickly fired it back home for his fifth of the year.

1:20 after that, the Royals drew within one when Ryan Penny appeared set for a slam dunk on a pass coming across the top of the crease, but he was held on the play, and the referee responded by raising his arm on a delayed penalty. Reading then pulled the goaltender in favor of a sixth attacker, and the Royals hit pay-dirt by keeping the play alive long enough to free Matt Wilkins low in the right circle. Wilkins then slid the puck back up into the low slot where Penny quickly snapped it in for his tenth of the year.

After a slow start in the third, the Royals turned up the pressure cooker as the period progressed and tied the game 9:59 into the final frame when Sundher ripped a snap shot from the high slot that hit Robbie Czarnik, who was creating a heavy screen in front of Isles, and then trickled over the goal line for his eleventh of the year.

At that point, the Royals turned it up even a degree or two hotter, pinning the Jackals in their end and creating several quality chances; however late in the period, Elmira was able to break the zone and the puck slid towards the offensive blue line, where Sylvestre took possession and appeared to be just dumping the puck into Reading’s end to allow his teammates to make a change. However, his chip-in was on net, and it bounded between the legs of Ouellette for Sylvestre’s tenth of the year.

Reading unleashed the hounds at that point but couldn’t find the equalizer, losing in regulation for only the third time in the last twenty-four games played at First Arena in Elmira (19-3-2-0).

NEXT UP FOR THE ROYALS

MONDAY, JANUARY 16

v ELMIRA JACKALS

Santander Arena – Reading, PA (1:00 pm)

Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Matinee

Buy One Ticket – Get One Free

Second in a Series of Four Bobblehead Giveaways: Olivier Labelle

Courtesy of Reading Health System

ROYALS BROADCAST

AUDIO: iHeartRadio – Rumba 1340 in Reading

TELEVISION: Royals’ Road Games are televised locally in Berks County, Pennsylvania

on BCTV, which Can Found at Comcast Reading Cable Channel 15,

Service Electric Cable Channel 19, Comcast Southern Berks Channel 965

Courtesy of Boscov’s Travel and Apple Vacations

STREAMING VIDEO: ECHL.TV powered by NeuLion (Pay-Per-View)

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