CAROL ORR HARTMAN The Everblades lost their last two games of the Eastern Conference semifinal series in overtime, 3-2 and 5-4, at Germain Arena sending the bestof- seven series back to Reading, where the Blades forced a game 7 with a 2-1 win Tuesday night.

The Florida Everblades had to rally to sent their ECHL

Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series all the

way to a Game 7, despite enjoying a 2-1 lead in the

best-of-seven series and two more games on home ice last

weekend.

The Reading Royals spoiled that home ice advantage,

just as the Blades did earlier at Reading, by winning two of

the last three games at Germain Arena, both in overtime.

The defending ECHL Kelly Cup Champion Everblades,

however, could not muster enough offense to advance to the

conference finals. The Royals pinned a 4-1 defeat on the

Blades Wednesday night to claim a 4-3 series victory and

advance to the next round against the Cincinnati Cyclones.

Wednesday: Trailing 2-0, Matthew

Pistilli sent a pass from left-to-right

through the crease to Corey Trivino

standing alone near the right post.

Royals goalie Riley Gill dove across,

got his glove on the puck, sending it off

the post and safely behind the net.

The save came on a 5-on-3 third

period power play for the Blades, but the

Royals survived and added two more

goals for good measure.

Brandon MacLean broke the shutout

with the Blades’ lone goal with 1:58

left.

“The guys left everything out there,”

said Blades coach Greg Poss said. “All

we can ask is you do your best.

Sometimes it works out and sometimes

it doesn’t. Last year, we had a great

playoff run where we got all the

bounces. This year, we couldn’t get a

bounce. We lost the two playoff games

at home in overtime.”

Tuesday: Adam Brace and Leigh

Salters scored goals 90 seconds apart

past the halfway point of the third period

to rally the Everblades to a 2-1 win in

Game 6 and force Game 7.

Saturday: Evan Barlow scored twice,

including the game-winning goal in

overtime, to lead the Royals to a 5-4 win

in Game 5.

The Royals took a 3-2 series lead

back to Reading.

The Royals opened a 2-0 lead early

on.

Salters led a 2-on-1 rush to the right

wing circle to Brace who one-timed the

puck past Gill to pull the Blades within

2-1 in the second period.

Florida tied the game with three minutes

remaining in the second, on a

rebound chance in front for Trivino,

who rolled a shot into the net from the

top of the crease.

The Everblades took their first lead in

the third period on a shot from the point

hit off the back glass and landed in the

crease for Trivino’s second goal.

The Blades took a 4-2 lead when

Brace muscled his way around a

defenseman and lifted a shot over the

goalie’s glove for the score.

The Royals would not go quietly,

scoring on two power plays in the final

five minutes of regulation to force overtime.

Halfway though the extra session, a

loose puck in front of the Everblades net

causing a wild scramble when Barlow

tapped it into the net for the game-winning

goal.

Reading Royals v. Florida

Everblades

(Reading wins series 4-3)

Game 1: Florida 4, Reading 3

Game 2: Reading 3, Florida 2

Game 3: Florida 4, Reading 1

Game 4: Reading 3, Florida 2

(OT)

Game 5 Reading 5, Florida 4

(OT)

Game 6: Florida 2, Reading 1

Game 7: Reading 4, Florida 1

(10)