Royals Overcome Travel Difficulties to Pick Up a Point in Adirondack, 3-2

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Teams     Per: 1          2          3          ot         so

REA:              0          1          1          0          0=2

ADK:              1          0          1          0          1=3

Records

REA: 22-14-1-2 = 47 (2, North Division)

ADK: 19-12-4-3= 43 (4, North Division)

Goaltenders

REA: Ouellette (SOL, 7-5-0-1) (37/39)

ADK:  Anderson (Win, 8-3-2-0) (36/38)

Power Play:

REA: 1 – 2

ADK: 0 – 4

Glens Falls, NY – The Reading Royals (­­­­­­­­­SOL, 22-14-1-1 = 47) of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, were defeated in a shootout by Adirondack Thunder (win, 19-12-4-3 = 43), 3-2, at Glens Falls Civic Center in Glens Falls, New York.

In a game delayed almost two hours because of a mechanical malfunction of the Royals’ team bus, Reading was able to withstand an early attack by the Thunder, get their skates underneath them, and engage in an epic playoff-style back-and-forth give-and-take battle that took a skills competition to resolve.

Despite falling behind in the first period, Reading battled back with a power play goal in the second—and then took a lead with 5:04 remaining in regulation on a disputed goal. But 21 seconds later, Adirondack tied the game on a goal that went off a skate and in…It was just one of those days for the Royals, who then withstood a relentless attack in OT by the Thunder thanks in no small measure to a brilliant series of saves by goaltender Martin Ouellette, who was spectacular all game long.

Adirondack scored 16:21 into the first period, when Peter MacArthur cut across the low slot, but was unable to pull the trigger on a shot. Instead, he maintained possession as skated below the goal line, while the trailer, defenseman Alex Wall, came crashing into the Royals’ crease making contact with Ouellette. As Ouellette got spun around, MacArthur slipped the puck back to the top of crease, where Wall had created enough space to fire off a quick snap shot for his fourth of the year.

Reading tied the game at one on the team’s second power play chance of the game 4:04 into the second period, when the team moved the puck quickly around the horn and a pass from high-to-low went hard off the end wall on the right wing side. Ryan Penny reached out and deftly deflected the loose puck back into the right circle where Matt Wilkins quickly slipped a cross-slot pass to a waiting Robbie Czarnik, who ripped a bullet by goaltender J.P. Anderson for his thirteenth of the year.

Reading turned up the heat in the third period, and finally hit pay-dirt with 5:04 remaining when Derik Johnson uncorked a bullet from the top of the left circle that buzzed over the left shoulder of Anderson and ricocheted quickly back—down and out. The referee signaled that it was a good goal, but a long discussion ensued on whether the puck actually entered the net. Ultimately, it was ruled a good goal to give Reading a 2-1 lead. For Johnson it was his fourth of the year.

But that lead was short-lived, as twenty-one seconds later Adirondack re-tied the game at two after immediately attacking the Royals’ net and creating a multi-shot chance, which ended when the loose puck ricocheted off the skate blade of Greg Wolfe and slipped by Ouellette for his ninth of the year.

The remainder of the hockey—the last five minutes of regulation and the five minutes of overtime—saw a plethora of chances at either end. But no one was able to put an end to it that way. So the two team’s took to the shootout where Reading went first and scored once in three tries (Matt Willows shooting second), while the Thunder bagged both of their chances (Wolfe and James Henry) to take the two points.

NEXT UP FOR THE ROYALS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2017

v ADIRONDACK THUNDER

Glens Falls Civic Center – Glens Falls, NY (7:00 pm)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2017

v FORT WAYNE KOMETS

Santander Arena – Reading, PA (7:00 pm)

Cabela’s Outdoor Night

Inflatable Archery Set Up Under Section 109

First 100 Fans to Cabela’s Booth (Section 114) Get a Multi-Tool Voucher

First 100 Kids to Cabela’s Booth (Section 114) Get Hand Warmer Voucher

First 2500 Fans Get Fleece Blanket Courtesy of Diamond Credit Union

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

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

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