Royals knocked down at Wheeling, 5-2

Wheeling, WV – Tyler Brown scored 24 seconds into the third to tie the game at two, but Dan Fick scored the game-winning goal for the Wheeling Nailers five minutes later and Jordan Ruby made a career-best 43 saves (2 GA) to top the Reading Royals, 5-2, Wednesday at Wesbanco Arena. Brown tied the game with a right-circle wrist shot. Wheeling answered with a right-circle snipe from Fick and added insurance five minutes later on another shot inside the right dot from Alec Butcher. Wheeling’s Cam Brown scored an empty-net goal with 2:04 to go.The Royals out shot Wheeling, 45-23.Chris McCarthy scored Reading’s only other goal, a power-play strike in the first period. Reading went 1-for-7 on the man up. McCarthy’s power-play strike gives him a team-best 51 points. Eleven of those (3g) have come against Wheeling.Branden Komm took the loss with 18 saves (4 GA).The Royals visit Allen and start a back-to-back with the Americans on Sat., Feb. 16 at 8:05 p.m. Reading’s next home game is Wed., Feb. 20 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Maine and features a postgame player autograph session, pres. Rieck’s Printing.Box ScoreThe Royals allowed a tap-in power-play goal from Renars Krastenbergs (10:09 of 1st) at the left post on Wheeling’s first man-up chance. The Nailers were 1-for-2 on the power play.Reading responded to tie on their second man-up opportunity with 2:22 remaining in the first. Kevin Goumas stood at the left circle and passed back to Joe Houk at the deep slot. He drifted right to the top of the circle and slung it back door for a redirect and goal by McCarthy at the left post. Reading has scored five power-play goals against the Nailers this season.Kevin Spinozzi scored another man-up goal to place Wheeling in front, 2-1, with 10:31 left in the second. Standing at the half wall, Spinozzi spun it to the slot off Steve Johnson and it banged directly past Komm at the right post.Reading took 18 shots in the third and Ruby stopped 17 of them. Brown slid home the only one in which he was scrambling around. After the Royals failed to score on the man up, Alex Roos slid it off a prone Ruby and it knuckled to Brown. He quickly unleashed his fourth of the season in past the prone Ruby.Fick scored the first of three in the third for the Nailers. He slung home a right-circle shot at 5:19 of the frame. Wheeling extended with goals from Butcher (9:36) and Brown (17:58)Next Home GamesWed., Feb. 20: Player Cards and Player Autograph session vs. Maine at 7:00 p.m.Postgame player autograph session, pres. by Rieck's PrintingSun., Feb. 24 at 4:00 p.m.: Faith and Family Night + Battle of the Badges with a Berks Schuylkill Oil Heat Puck Giveaway vs. Adirondack1) Pregame Battle of the Badges for the FirstStates Cup game (Allentown police and fire vs. Reading police and fire departments)2) Royals will give away a Berks Schuylkill Oil Heat Puck.3) Faith & Family NightGroup tickets start at $11 for all Royals home games.