Jackals Mount Comeback But Fall In Shootout to Reading

ELMIRA, N.Y. - The Elmira Jackals battled back from three goals down in the third period, but fell in a shootout to the Reading Royals, 6-5.

Allan McPherson got the Jackals on the board first with his third goal in as many games at the 6:09 mark of the first period. Brodie Reid and Zach Tolkinen added the assists on McPherson's third of the season. Justin Kea potted his first professional goal with 16 seconds left in the opening frame, giving the Jackals a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

The Jackals carried their 2-0 lead into the second period, but relinquished three goals in the final eight minutes of the middle frame and trailed 3-2 at the intermission. Pat Mullane got the Royals on the board with his second of the year at 12:13 of the second period, assisted by Brock Higgs and Justin Daniels. Reading didn't wait long to even the score and Sean Wiles buried his first of the year at 15:21 of the period, assisted by Colby Cohen and Adam Hughesman. The Royals seized the momentum and added another goal with 38 seconds left in the second when Brett Flemming recorded his second of the year, assisted by Zach Davies and Ian Watters. The chippy play picked up throughout the middle frame and escalated in the final seconds when a post-whistle scrum ensued and resulted in 17 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct, to Jackals forward Andrew Conboy.

The Royals took the lead into the intermission and added to it 3:18 into the third period when Brett Flemming blasted a one-timer past Tony Capobianco on the power-play. Hughesman passed the puck from the wall to Mike Marcou at the point who fed Flemming for his second of the night. Reading added to its lead 16 seconds later, on the power-play, when Adam Hughesman one-timed a pass from former Jackal Maxim Lamarche past Capobianco. Sean Wiles also added an assist on Hughesman's first goal of the season and third point of the night. Following the Royals' fifth unanswered goal, Capobianco was pulled and Travis Fullerton entered the game. Taylor Stefishen got the Jackals back into the game with his second of the year at 10:58 of the third period, making a nifty move along the goal line following a pass from Patch Alber with the man advantage. The Jackals continued the climb back into the game less than two minutes later when rookie Lucas Bloodoff jammed home a rebound on the power-play for his first professional goal. Brodie Reid and Brayden Irwin added the assists on Bloodoff's tally. Irwin tied the game with a penalty shot goal at 19:07 of the third period after the Royals were whistled for covering the puck in the crease.

Neither team was able to capitalize during the four-on-four overtime period, so they headed to a shootout. Reid was the long Jackals scorer during the skills competition and Ryan Cruthers and Pat Mullane scored for the Royals. Reading goaltender Martin Ouellette stopped Stefishen to snuff out the Jackals comeback bid.

Capobianco stopped 21 of 26 shots faced and Fullerton stopped all seven shots he faced in the third period and overtime, but was handed the shootout loss. Ouellette stopped 27 of 32 shots faced for the win. The Jackals went 2-for-5 on the power-play and 7-for-9 on the penalty kill.