Cincinnati Cyclones Discombobulate Reading Royals Throwing them for a 6-2 Loss - ECHL

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com - Cincinnati, OH – The Reading Royals (37-24-6=80, 3^rd North Division) of the ECHL trailed from wire to wire in a 6-2 loss to the Cincinnati Cyclones at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. This game marked the final road game of the 2007-08 regular season for the Royals, who ended 16-17-3 away from the Sovereign Center this year. In the early going, the Royals hit two pipes and got several solid stops from goaltender John Murray (2-1-0; 32/38), but the Cyclones broke through mid-way into the first and never looked back, as David Desharnais, the leading scorer in the ECHL, and newcomer Ryan Russell struck for four points apiece. Cody Rudkowsky (13-20-5; 21/23), who played in 104 regular season games for the Royals in 2003-06, beat the Reading for the fourth time in his career (4-0-1), while playing for three different teams (Peoria Rivermen, 2001-02; Trenton Titans, 2002-03 and Cincinnati Cyclones, 2007-08).

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Cincinnati struck 9:59 into the game when Desharnais took control behind the Royals’ goal and slipped a pass to the top of the crease where Matt Syroczinski forced it through for his thirtieth goal of the year. The Cyclones took a 2-0 lead 17:20 into the first, when Desharnais chipped a beautiful saucer from just inside the offensive blue line to Olivier Latendresse, who had slipped below the Royals defense. Latendresse took two strides towards the Royals’ goal and dished to the left side of the net where a charging Ryan Russell re-directed the puck behind Murray for his second goal with the Cyclones. Reading bounced back 16 seconds later. Brock Hooton chipped the puck into the offensive zone, and Dany Roussin tracked the puck down and fed Vladimir Dravecky low in the right circle. Dravecky took a shot that deflected off the mid-section of Hooton and slipped through Rudkowsky and across the goal line for Hooton’s twenty-fourth goal of the year.

 

In the second, the two teams played close to the vest until the latter stages of the period, when Desharnais broke through for back-to-back goals. On the first one, a bad defensive zone turnover by the Royals resulted in a point blank shot for Russell. Murray stopped that one, but the rebound fell to the right side of the goal where Desharnais was able to gain possession and snap it home for his twenty-fifth goal of the year. The Cyclones capitalize with 55 seconds left in the second the period on a five-on-three power play to extend the lead to 4-1. After an extended sequence of puck possession in the offensive end—on which Murray stood strong—Latendresse ended up with the puck at the top of the left circle. He fired a low hard slap shot that Murray kicked out with the right pad. The rebound, however, went straight to the stick of Mathieu Aubin at the left side of the Royals; goal. Aubin quickly snapped a pass through the crease to Desharnais who was planted on the other side of the net for the easy tap in.

 

In the third, the Cyclones stretched the lead to 5-1 3:20 into the period, when Scott Reynolds carried deep on the left side and fired a snap shot that seemed to fool Murray for Reynolds’ thirteenth goal of the year. Reading responded with a five-on-three power play goal of their own at the 10:39 mark of the third when Charlie Kronschnabel prevented a clearing attempt by the Cyclone penalty killers. He then settled the puck in the mid-slot and ripped a rocket behind Rudkowsky for his twelfth goal of the year. Cincinnati added one more with a hard snap shot be Russell from low in the slot at the 13:33 mark to regain the four goal lead at 6-2.

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