Royals Pre-Season Starts with Come-from-Behind Win Over Wheeling, 2-1

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League and the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, defeated the Wheeling Nailers, 2-1, in the pre-season opener at Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Goaltender Riley Gill (Pre-Season Win: 1-0-0-0, 17/18) made some big stops early on, and the Royals, despite giving up the game’s first goal in the second period, out-shot the Nailers 27-9 in the final forty-minutes to pull out the come-from-behind win.

The Nailers struck first 6:04 into the second period, when a charging Colin Mulvey threw one from below the goal line that went off the side of the net and Gill as he was falling to the ice. The puck deflected to the top of the crease, where a crashing Sahir Gill chipped it over the prone Riley Gill for his first of the pre-season.

Reading answered thirty-seconds later, when Ryan Santana broke in on goaltender Mike Condon (no decision, 0-0-0-0, 17/18 in 30:04) and forced one from in tight that handcuffed Condon, pin-balled around and slipped across the goal line for Santana’s first of the pre-season.

Reading got the third period tie-breaking game winner, when Marc Zanette, who had two assists for the Royals, set up Ryan Kavanagh for a hot bullet from the top of right circle that blew across the body of goaltender Alex Westlund (Pre-Season  Loss: 0-2-0-0, 13/14 in 29:50) high to the glove side for Kavanagh’s first of the pre-season.

The Royals held on for the win despite sputtering on the power play (0-8), which included 52 seconds of five-on-three early in the second. Wheeling’s power play was held off the board on two chances with the man advantage.

Reading closes out the pre-season tomorrow night at First Arena in Elmira, New York, where the team will take on the Elmira Jackals (7:05 pm). It is an internet only broadcast, but is expected to be available on BCTV.

The Royals kick off the defense of the team’s 2013 Kelly Cup Championship on Saturday, October 19, 2013, (7:35 pm), at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania, with the 2013-14 season opener against the South Carolina Stingrays. The Royals also face the Stingrays on Sunday, October 20 (4:05 pm) in Game Two of Opening Weekend. Season Tickets for the 2013-14 Reading Royals are currently available. Call 610-898-7825 or visit www.royalshockey.com for more information.

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