MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com – CINCINNATI – The Reading Royals netted three third period goals to break a 2-2 tie and collect a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Cyclones Monday night. Shawn Collymore collected a goal and an assist in pacing the Reading win. Bryan Schmidt scored twice for the Cyclones in the loss. The win gives Reading a two games to one lead in the best of seven North Division Finals.
It was Reading’s first win in regulation time in Cincinnati this season, after going 1-4 at U.S. Bank Arena during the season (a 4-3 shootout win on January 4 was the lone triumph).
The Cyclones scored a pair of power play goals in the first period to open a 2-1 lead. Defenseman Bryan Schmidt notched his first Kelly Cup playoff goal at 3:45 from Olivier Latendresse and David Desharnais with the man advantage. Schmidt took a pass at the top of the left circle and buried his shot in the upper corner of the net. Reading leveled the scores just 48 seconds later, when Dany Roussin found the net with his fifth postseason goal—a power play score. Schmidt netted his second of the night and second of the playoffs at 19:41 with a blast from the top of the right circle. His shot snuck just inside the right post from Latendresse and Jason Deitsch.
Reading scored the only goal of the frame at 16:59 when Matt Herneisen collected his first playoff goal on a rebound. The Royals held the shots on goal edge in the period, 17-7.
The Royals scored three times in the third period to secure the win. Shawn Collymore, Kevin Saurette and Chris Blight scored the goals to bust the game open.
This was the third game of the best-of-seven North Division Finals. It is the third time in team history that the squad has reached this stage of the Kelly Cup playoffs and second straight year that is has occurred. The Cyclones (55-12-5) were the North Division, American Conference and Brabham Cup (best overall ECHL regular season record) champions. Reading (38-26-6), which was seeded third, upended second-seeded Elmira in a six game series that ended more than a week ago to advance to this round. Game four of the series will be played at U.S. Bank Arena on Wednesday, April 30 at 7:30pm. The fifth game will also be at U.S. Bank Arena on Thursday, May 1 at 7:30pm.