READING, Pennsylvania – The Reading Royals (27-9-2-2) raced out to a 3-0 lead and never looked back as they went on to defeat the Cincinnati Cyclones (22-14-3-1) by a 4-1 final score in front of 3,841 at Sovereign Center on Friday night.
A late power play goal gave the Royals a 1-0 lead in the opening frame; David Marshall caught a pass in the left corner, fed the puck across the middle and found Nikita Kashirsky in front – who tapped in his second goal of the season past Brian Foster (L, 32 saves, 13-6-3) at the 18:30 mark.
Reading extended their advantage midway through the second period, as Adam Comrie’s wrist shot from the high slot beat Foster over the glove to make it 2-0 at 7:04. Then, at 12:01, Yannick Tifu’s centering pass from behind the net banked off of the Cincinnati net minder and rolled over the goal line, making it a 3-0 Royals lead – a cushion they carried to the second intermission.
The Cyclones finally got on the board in the third period when David Pacan rushed in on a shorthanded breakaway; the Cincinnati rookie fired a shot that was initially denied by Drew MacIntyre (W, 18 saves, 3-1-0), but the rebound fluttered in the air and over the goal line, making it a 3-1 game just 29 seconds in. However, Reading would prevent a Cyclones comeback as Tifu rushed into the offensive zone and potted another goal past Foster at the 13:55 mark to cap the scoring at 4-1. The Royals would hold on to win by the same margin.
The Cyclones Radio Network Stars of the Game are as follows:
First Star: Yannick Tifu (2 goals for Reading)
Second Star: Nikita Kashirsky (1 goal, 1 assist for Reading)
Third Star: Adam Comrie (Game winning goal for Reading)
Cincinnati will now make its way into Trenton, New Jersey where they’ll play back-to-back games against the Titans starting tomorrow night at 7:05pm Fans can hear all the action of the game on the Cyclones Radio Network (FM 100 The FAN, CyclonesHockey.com, America One) beginning at 6:45pm.
The Cyclones will return to the ice at U.S. Bank on Friday, January 25 when they play host to the Evansville IceMen at 7:30pm. The first 2,500 fans through the gates will receive a Cyclones Bobblehead of U.S. President Barack Obama! Call 513.421.PUCK or visit CyclonesHockey.com to reserve your seats! Fans can also get the latest team updates throughout the season on Facebook and Twitter (@CincyCyclones).
Click here for tonight's box score.
Royals Defeat Cyclones, 4-1
