Royals Take Out Wheeling, 4-1

Wheeling, WV – The Reading Royals (win, 33-19-1-1=68) 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 (loss, 28-22-1-5= 62), 4-1, at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia.

In a carbon copy of Wednesday’s game against Elmira, the Nailers scored first—on their first power play chance of the night—but the Royals responded on their first power play chance and strung three more together to pull away and win for the third consecutive time this week. This game marked the fifteenth time the Royals have held the opposition to one goal or less—including all three games this week, during which the team only gave up a total of two goals against. This was also the eleventh come-from-behind win of the year for Reading.

Wheeling struck 9:12 into the first on their first power play chance of the night. After a flurry of chances around the net, the puck popped to the mid-slot where Max MacKay settled and fired. The puck appeared to be headed way wide, but it struck a Reading defender and deflected behind goaltender Riley Gill (win, 14-11-0-1, 27/28) for McKay’s thirteenth of the year.

Reading bounced back to tie on their first chance with the man advantage 12:22 into the first. Josh Brittain settled in the mid-slot and fired a snapper that goaltender Kieren Millan (loss, 2-1-0-0, 24/28) stopped with the stick. But the rebound fell towards the goal line on the left side eight feet away from the net. Domenic Monardo corralled and quickly fired from the sharp angle for his team leading eighteenth of the year.

The Royals took the lead 16:51 into the first on another rebound goal. On this one, Kevin Walrod made a great play off the rush to settle a puck with the glove and get a shot that was rejected by Millan. But the Walrod was able to dig the puck off the end wall and feed Sean Wiles in the slot. Wiles fired a low shot that Millan stopped, but Josh Brittain was perfectly positioned to gain control, cut left to right across the top of the crease and stuff it home for his tenth of the year. That also proved to be Brittain’s fifth game winner of the year—and his second in two nights.

After a scoreless second, the Royals added two insurance markers in the third. The first came on another rebound. Jesse Todd snapped one off the left half-wall that Millan fought off with the blocker. The puck fell to the top of the crease on the right side, where Ethan Cox dove in to swipe the puck home while face-first on the ice for his ninth of the year.

Reading stretched the lead to 4-1 11:16 into the third off the rush, when Ryan Cruthers fed defenseman Matt Campanale, who carried into the offensive zone and fired from the high slot. The puck snuck between the legs of Millan for Campanale’s fifth of the year.

The Nailers didn’t let up at any point in the game, which was a back-and-forth go-go-go battle all night long. But the Royals held on for the win to push the team’s record to a season high fourteen games over .500.

The Royals are off until Friday (March 7 @ 7:05 pm) when they will once again face the Nailers. That night, the first 2500 fans will get a Royals’ team trading card set courtesy of Rieck’s Printing. Friday’s game night broadcast will kick off at 6:35 pm on CBS Sports Radio 1240 am and 98.5 will kick off with the Highmark Blue Shield Warm-Up Show on the Royals Broadcast Network presented by Boscov’s Travel and Apple Vacations.

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