Royals continue to get points, suffer 4-3 shootout loss vs. Newfoundland

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals have registered points in nine of their last ten games (8-1-0-1) despite dropping in the shootout, 4-3, to the Newfoundland Growlers Saturday at Santander Arena. Marcus Power shoveled the puck past Callum Booth (SOL, 26 saves) in the bottom of the fifth round for the skills-competition winner. Frank DiChiara and Sam Babintsev scored in the shootout’s first round. Reading outshot Newfoundland, 32-29, and the Royals limited the Growlers to six combined shots in the third period and overtime.Michael Garteig (29 saves, 3 GA) denied 13 shots in overtime, five in overtime, and four Reading attempts in the shootout.Joe Houk (1g, 1a), Adam Schmidt scored the first two goals of the game, but Newfoundland tied it at two after 20. Reading took another lead in the second on a goal from Alex Roos, but once more a goal in the final minute of the second period from Marcus Power (1g, 2a) forced an even score entering the last frame.Following Saturday’s game, Reading is at Wheeling for a New Year’s Eve battle Monday at 6:05 p.m. The Royals’ next home game is Fri., Jan. 4 vs. Norfolk at 7:00 p.m.Box ScoreThe Royals scored the opening two goals on their first six shots. At 3:35 of the first, Jack Riley centered the puck to Houk at the slot. Houk quickly gathered and funneled a backhanded shot through Garteig. Houk has ten points (2g) this month. Kevin Goumas helped set up the next goal 1:05 later; he spun to the trapezoid and found Schmidt at the left circle. Next, Schmidt deposited it to the top shelf with Garteig reaching up to give a sliver of space. Schmidt’s ninth of the season had Reading ahead by a pair for the opening 17:30.A late-first-period run by Newfoundland tied the game at two before first intermission. With 2:30 to go, Zach O’Brien shot in his fifth goal of the season series from the left circle. With 15.5 seconds remaining in the first frame, Alex Gudbranson stepped into a whistling wrist shot at the slot and beat Booth low and on the glove side.Roos gave Reading the lead back, 3-2, at 6:26 of the middle period. Houk drove the right slot and passed to Roos inside the circles. Roos unleashed a wrist shot by Garteig’s glove for his fifth of the campaign.The Growlers struck with 52.9 seconds remaining in the second on a goal from Power to tie the game at three.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.