de Haas scores final two goals to complete OT victory over Beast, 4-3

Brampton, ON – Defenseman James de Haas scored the tying goal in the third and powered in the winning goal at 1:03 of overtime to complete a come-from-behind, 4-3 decision against the Brampton Beast Sunday at Powerade Centre.

Adam Schmidt (3a) sprung a 75-foot pass to de Haas at the Beast line in overtime. de Haas walked into the zone and wristed it in from the top of the left circle for his first professional multi-goal game. His shot beat Zach Fucale (loss, 31 saves) to the top right shelf. Reading fell behind, 3-2, at 6:14 of the third on a short-handed strike from Brampton’s Alex Foster. de Haas evened the game with a slap shot at 12:29 of the third.

Reading is 6-2 in overtime this season, tied for the most extra-session victories in the league. The Royals are 8-2 in games decided past regulation.

Meanwhile, John Muse moved to 12-1-0-0 in his last 13 decisions, stopping 28 shots.

The Royals scored on their first and last shots. Matt Wilkins ripped the opening goal at :52 of the first period, the quickest Reading has tallied this season.

The Royals travel to Glens Falls, NY for a North Division showdown with the Adirondack Thunder (52 pts.) Tues., Jan. 30 at 7:00 p.m. Royals Pregame starts on BCTV, Rumba 1340 (iHeartRadio) and RumbaReading.com at 6:45 p.m.

Box Score

Wilkins scored the first goal unassisted. He coaxed a turnover at the right slot, took a stride and shot it to the top right shelf for his eighth of the season. The Union College graduate has three goals and seven points over the last games.

The Beast struck back 1:56 later. Scott Jacklin pounded it through Muse a foot outside the right-side crease. With 5:52 remaining in the frame, Matt Petgrave dashed in between the circles, received a centering pass from Chris Leveille and touched it to the top shelf. Alex Foster recorded the secondary assist.

Willows tied the game, 2-2, at 8:32 of the middle frame. He scored one second after Reading’s second man-up opportunity expired. Nick Luukko stroked one off a defender in front of the cage. It pin-balled off Adam Schmidt to Willows. The Royals leading scorer (41 points) backhanded it in at the left post.

Foster short-handed strike gave the Beast a 3-2 edge at 6:14 of the third. Reading’s power play was 0-for-5 and killed off all five Beast opportunities.

de Haas wired the tying goal to the bottom right pocket of the cage with 7:31 left, assisted by Schmidt and Tyler Brown.

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.