Brown and Willows tally in Reading’s 3-2 loss to Thunder

Glens Falls, NY – Adirondack Thunder forward Ty Loney scored the game-winning goal with 36.7 seconds to go to sink the Reading Royals, 3-2, Tuesday at Cool Insuring Arena. John Muse made 23 saves in defeat and is 12-2-0-0 over his last 14 appearances.

Reading remains two points behind Adirondack, Wheeling and Manchester for first place in the North Division.

Matt Willows scored his 14th of the season to open the scoring early in the first and tie Michael Huntebrinker for the team lead in goals. The Thunder recorded the next two to take a 2-1 edge in the second. Tyler Brown scored his third of the season to even the contest near the end of the middle frame.

The Thunder limited Reading to 17 shots on goal and Drew Fielding made 15 stops.

The Royals start a weekend road set at the Norfolk Admirals this Fri., Feb. 2 at 7:00 p.m.

Box Score

The Royals scored on their second shot against Fielding to take a 1-0 edge at 6:38 of the first. Willows cut across the center of the Thunder blue line and took a deep wrist shot. Using Adirondack’s Desmond Bergin’s legs as a screen, Willows snuck it through to the left post. It was Reading’s last shot of the period and the Royals were out-shot, 8-2, in the first.

Pierre-Luc Mercier evened the game with 1:04 to go in the first period on a shot from the left circle, assisted by Ty Loney and Bergin. At 5:28 of the second, the defenseman Bergin picked up his second point on a sniped goal from the right circle to the short post, beating Muse and giving the Thunder a 2-1 lead.

Reading slowly rebooted with a number of shots on goal before tying, 2-2. Matt Wilkins and Willows exchanged the puck. Wilkins slung it net front through a defender’s wickets to a wide-open Tyler Brown at the left shot. He gathered and quickly flushed it to the top right shelf for his first goal since Nov. 15 (22 games).

The Royals killed off a pair of Thunder man-up chances in the third. Loney scored the winning tally in the final minute at the right doorstep.

On Fri., Feb. 2 at 7:00 p.m., the Royals are in Norfolk for the first of two games against the Admirals. The teams rematch at 7:00 p.m. on Sat., Feb. 3. Coverage for both games begins at 6:45 p.m. with Royals Pregame on BCTV, Rumba 1340 (iHeartRadio) and RumbaReading.com at 6:45 p.m.Hockey ‘N Heels and Princess Night on Fri., Feb 16 vs. CIN at 7:00 p.m.First 1,500 women will receive a pink knit hat, thanks to Sweet Street Desserts.

Pink in the Rink, Pink Ice, special jerseys on Sat., Feb 17 vs. BRM at 7:00 p.m.Pink knit scarf giveaway to the first 1,500 women, courtesy of Sweet Street Desserts. The Royals will wear special jerseys and play on pink ice.

PAW Patrol, Battle of the Badges, Faith and Family and Jerry “The King” Lawler on Sun., Feb 18 vs. WHL at 4:00 p.m.It’s PAW Patrol night! The Royals will wear special PAW Patrol jerseys from the popular Nickelodeon show.

Before the Royals drop the puck with the Nailers, the Reading Police and Fire Departments match up against the Allentown Police and Fire at 12:30 p.m. in the Battle for the FirstStates Cup XIII at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are available here to help raise money for the children of policemen and firefighters.

Meet WWE Hall-of-Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler on Pro Wrestling Night (Tower Health). Plus, it’s Faith and Family Night and dollar dog day, presented by Safe Berks, Berks Packing and Coca-Cola. First 1,000 kids (14 & under) will receive a Slapshot T-shirt thanks to Bethany Children’s Home. Also check out a postgame skate presented by Body Zone.

About the RoyalsThe Royals have been owned by serial entrepreneur Jack Gulati since 2014 and are in their 17th ECHL season. Proudly affiliated with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Reading plays in the Santander Arena, located in downtown Reading, PA at 700 Penn Street. The Royals won the Kelly Cup in 2013, have made the playoffs in eight straight seasons and are four-time division champions.

Reading Royals Mobile AppHead to the App Store and Google Play to download the new Reading Royals app on your smartphone! Stay up-to-date with team news, receive notifications and purchase tickets for your next experience at Santander Arena.

Broadcast CoverageAll Royals game can be heard on Rumba 1340 AM and the iHeartRadio app by searching “Rumba 1340”. The pregame show starts 15 minutes before puck drop. Watch Royals games on ECHL.tv. Reading away games are shown locally on BCTV, channel 15 Comcast, channel 19 Service Electric.