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jevers
Administrator
USA
1367 Posts |
 Posted - 05/04/2010 : 9:56:45 PM
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READING, Pennsylvania - The Reading Royals scored three times in the first eleven minutes to build a lead they would never relinquish in a 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Cyclones on Tuesday night at the Sovereign Center. Four Royals players had multiple points in the win. The Cyclones collected goals from Jimmy Kilpatrick and Barret Ehgoetz.
This was the third game of the American Conference Finals, a series that the Cyclones have advanced into three consecutive seasons-joining Greensboro (1989-91) and Alaska (2004-06) as ECHL teams to accomplish this. Reading now leads the best of seven series, three games to none. The fourth game in this round of the USA Collision Centers postseason for the Cyclones occurs on Saturday night at 7pm. The game will be carried on ESPN 1530 with a special pregame airing at 6:30pm. The winner of this series will play the winner of the National Conference Finals (Idaho v. Stockton) for the Kelly Cup.
The Reading Royals exploded for three first period goals to grab a 3-0 lead. It was the first time in the postseason that the Cyclones surrendered three goals in a period. Reading has scored the first goal of the game in eleven of its twelve postseason games and has outscored opponents, 20-4, in the opening frame. The Royals got things started at 3:08 when Olivier Labelle notched his ECHL-leading eleventh goal from Ben Gordon and Ryan Cruthers. A power play marker at 7:11 extended the lead for Reading, as Marc Cavosie netted his sixth of the postseason from Daniel Steiner and Cruthers. Less than four minutes later, Reading made it 3-0. Andrew Sarauer lit the lamp for the third time from Cavoise and Steiner. That was the end of the evening for goaltender Jeremy Smith, who stopped just five of eight shots faced. Robert Mayer took over for Cincinnati from that point on. The shots on goal favored the Cyclones in the period, 11-9.
The Cyclones bounced back with a pair of power play goals in the second period to cut the deficit to 3-2. Jimmy Kilpatrick re-directed a shot for his sixth goal at 7:07. Mark Van Guilder and Reid Cashman had the assists, working the puck from the left corner to the top of the crease for the score. At 15:44 of the stanza, Barret Ehgoetz pulled the puck out of a scrum at the bottom of the right circle and snapped a shot just inside the left post for his sixth of the playoffs from Mathieu Aubin and Dustin Sproat. The shots were even in the period at seven apiece in the frame.
Reading would close out the scoring at 6:01 of the third period with a power play goal from defenseman Rob Kwiet, who netted his first score of the postseason after collecting a rebound in the slot. Sarauer and Jared Ross had the assists. The Cyclones played the last minute and a half with six attackers trying to cut into the deficit but could not light the lamp. The shots favored Cincinnati for the frame, 9-7, and for the game29-23.
Matt Dalton won his Kelly Cup playoff-leading tenth game with a 27 save effort. Jeremy Smith absorbed the loss, stopping five of eight shots. Robert Mayer was solid in relief, turning away 14 of 15 shots faced. Cincinnati was two for seven with the power play, while Reading was two for five with the extra attacker.
The Cyclones posted a 44-25-3 record in the regular season and entered the postseason as the fifth placed team in the American Conference. Cincinnati upset fourth-seeded and defending Kelly Cup champion South Carolina in the opening round. The best of five series went the full five contests-the last three being decided in overtime, at Charleston. In the semifinals, the Cyclones went a full seven games before knocking off Charlotte-the regular season American Conference champion. This is Cincinnati's fourth trip to the conference finals, the club has won one of the other three visits.
The Royals turned in a 37-29-6 record to finish in seventh place in the American Conference standings. Reading upended North Division champion Kalamazoo in five games and then swept sixth-seeded Florida in four games. This is the club's second trip to the conference finals-having lost to Florida in its other trip in 2005.
Tickets for the 2010-11 Cincinnati Cyclones season are now on sale, as will as games in the American Conference Finals round. The Cyclones Sales Department can be reached at 513-421-PUCK, extension 3. All road Kelly Cup playoff games will be carried on ESPN 1530 and on the club's website at: www.cycloneshockey.com.
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