Royals earn 1st playoff berth with victory over pesky Storm

Reading downs Toledo to qualify for the postseason for the first time in its three-season history.

By Julie Pelchar Reading Eagle

They waited 215 games, or nearly three full seasons.
So what was another 60 minutes to the Reading Royals Saturday night?
Behind a pair of goals from Judd Medak and three assists from linemate Graig Mischler, the Royals outlasted the slumping, yet pesky, Toledo Storm 3-2 to secure their first Kelly Cup playoff berth since the ECHL franchise moved to Reading in 2001.
   "The score was definitely too close, no question," said Royals coach Derek Clancey. "But the bottom line is we made it hard all year, and we got it done."
   Although the score shows a one-goal victory, Reading dominated its opponent for the second straight night to edge Trenton, which dropped a 4-2 decision to Johnstown Saturday, for the Northern Division’s fifth and final playoff spot.
   The Royals (37-25-10) finished the regular season with a team record 84 points to finish three points ahead of the Titans, who missed the postseason for the first time in their five-year history.
   After beating Johnstown 3-2 in a shootout Friday, Reading entered the evening one point ahead of Trenton, needing a victory to guarantee a trip to Johnstown for Monday’s wild card game.
   Having seized control of their destiny, the Royals travel cross-state tonight on a high after having outshot their last two opponents 110-49. They held a 46-24 advantage in shots Saturday.
   With a win against the Chiefs Monday, the Royals would advance to the Northern Division semifinals against top-seeded Wheeling.
   "It’s been an up-and-down, emotional month," Mischler said of a near-ruinous 4-8-2 stretch in March that had the Royals fighting for their playoff lives.
   "For us to really bear down these last two games and not even have to count on Johnstown tonight for help makes it feel really good," he said. "We’re headed to Johnstown on a good note, feeling confident about the way we played."
   After outshooting the Storm 21-6, the Royals finally broke through when Medak scored with 1:40 left in the first period.
   Taking a feed from Mischler, who leads the Royals with 44 assists, Medak beat Jimi St. John to make it 1-0 heading into the second.
   Behind goaltender Cody Rudkowsky, who made several key saves in the second, the Royals maintained their slim lead through 40 minutes.
   They wasted little time in increasing their advantage to three in the third.
   Reagan Rome fired a shot past Cory Campbell, who replaced the injured St. John early in the second, at the 44-second mark, and Medak flew into the slot to score a power-play goal less than three minutes later.
   Shortly after Medak’s score, Marco Charpentier scored an unassisted goal to make it 3-1. Derek Campbell then scored with 1:43 remaining.
   But Reading looked anything but uncomfortable the rest of the way.
   "You look at the shots, and again we dominated the play," Medak said. "We pretty much stuck with it all night. We played strong enough, kept rolling and getting shots and putting pressure on them.
   "Obviously, we didn’t want to give up a late goal to them, but we stayed with it. We dug down and our character persevered, and we got it done."
   Contact Julie Pelchar at 610-371-5065 or japelchar@readingeagle.com.

Reading Eagle: Lisa Fernandez
The Royals’ Judd Medak, second from left, smiles after the first of his two goals Saturday night at the Sovereign Center.