Mariners cut down Royals, 4-1

Portland, ME – The Reading Royals allowed the first three goals and Steven Swavely scored Reading’s only marker in a 4-1 loss at the Maine Mariners Wednesday at Cross Insurance Arena.Austin Lotz (loss) blocked 25 shots in his first game back from Lehigh Valley. Maine netminder Brandon Halverson made 35 saves for his sixth straight win.The Mariners scored twice in the first half of the opening frame then potted another halfway through the second. Maine scored a power-play goal and a short-handed goal.Swavely’s goal came late in the second and it gives him eight goals in his last seven games. The third-year professional is on a career-long seven-game point streak (8g, 4a). He has potted goals in six of those seven.Reading is home Fri., Nov. 30 vs. Kalamazoo at 7:00 p.m., featuring a PA Lottery Voucher giveaway to fans 18 and older.Box ScoreThe Royals surrendered the first two goals separated by 2:17. Alex Kile intercepted an intended chip at the left circle and lifted it by Lotz for his team-leading eighth of the season at 6:03 of the opening frame. Next, Morgan Adams-Moisan took away another breakout pass on the right wing, toe-dragged and shot it in on the glove side for his first professional strike. Reading has surrendered two short-handed goals this season, both to Maine.The next Maine tally from Alec Baer made it 3-0. He scored on the power play with 9:52 left in the second on a tip at the left post centered by Riley Bourbonnais.Swavely cut into the lead with 41.9 to go in period two. The play started at the left corner and Frank DiChiara ticked it to Swavely. He turned around and fired a low shot through the legs of Halverson for his tenth of the season.Halverson blocked 15 shots in the third and stopped a Reading power play (0-for-3) in the final half of the third. Maine was 1-for-3 on the man up.Vince Pedrie netted an empty-net goal with 1:05 left.Santa Sacks and Stocking Stuffers: Get ticket vouchers, autographed mini-sticks, pucks and player picturesPA Lottery Voucher Giveaway vs. Kalamazoo: Fri., Nov. 30 at 7:00 p.m.About the RoyalsThe Royals have been owned by serial entrepreneur Jack Gulati since 2014 and are entering their 18th 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 nine straight seasons and are four-time division champions.Listen to all Royals broadcasts at Mixlr.com/ReadingRoyals or by downloading the Mixlr App from the App Store or Google Play.