Adirondack goes ahead in final three minutes and defeats Royals, 6-3

Glens Falls, NY – The Reading Royals took a 3-2 lead into the third period, but four unanswered goals from the Adirondack Thunder bested Reading, 6-3, Sunday at Cool Insuring Arena. Dylan Walchuk scored the game-winning goal with a slot rip, breaking a 3-3 tie with 2:58 left. Twenty-nine seconds earlier, Hans Gorowsky scored his second goal of the game and equalized the score. Chris McCarthy (1g, 1a), Josh MacDonald (1g, 1a) and Nick Luukko (2a) generated multi-point games in defeat. Reading went 2-for-5 on the man-up and killed all six Thunder chances.Jamie Phillips blocked 28 of 32 shots and took the loss. In his first ECHL game since Nov. 24, Cam Johnson won with 29 saves (3 GA).Kevin Goumas scored the lone goal of the first period. Adirondack tallied twice in the first 11:48 of the second to take a 2-1 lead. The Royals clapped back with two straight man-up goals in the final 1:49 of the second; Josh MacDonald lasered a one-timer in on a 5-on-3 man advantage to tie it at two. 81 seconds later, the Royals beat the second-period clock with a goal on a redirect from McCarthy.Box ScoreAlex Roos and Luukko assisted Goumas’ opening goal to make it 1-0 Royals at 6:37 of the first. Goumas set up at the slot and Roos curled it from the trapezoid to the low slot. Goumas connected on a quick-stick shot for his third of the season and beat Johnson through the five-hole. Phillips and Johnson each had 12 stops in the first period.The Thunder tied the game at 7:03 of the second. Adirondack’s Brian Ward won a left-wing circle face-off to the deep slot and Kelly Summers banged a one-timed slap shot in through Phillips from the deep slot. Five minutes later, Adirondack took a 2-1 lead off a net-front trickler. Andrew Tessier’s shot bounded off Phillips pads and settled at the right post for Gorowsky’s first professional goal.A cross-checking minor against James Henry and a tripping minor against Brian Ward allowed the Royals to go on a 5-on-3 advantage for 53 seconds. Reading quickly converted twice on the man up to take a 3-2 lead into the third. First, the Royals won a face-off to the left point for McCarthy. He fledged it cross ice to MacDonald who blasted his 24th of the season in with a one-timer at 18:21 of the second. That goal tied the score four seconds into the two-man advantage. Adam Schmidt received the secondary helper.McCarthy benefitted next; with 17.4 seconds remaining in the period, Reading held the puck at the deep slot with Luukko and he shot it off McCarthy’s stick and in for his 18th of the season. He is four goals away from matching his single-season ECHL high, established in his first season with Reading (2016-17). MacDonald received the secondary helper.The Thunder scored the next four to steal the two points. First, Gorowsky slammed a slot shot over the shoulder for his second of the game with 3:27 to go. On the next shift, Walchuk took a centering pass from James Henry and Walchuk shot it underneath Phillips’ pads. That goal provided a 4-3 advantage. Mike Sdao and Mike Szmatula scored empty-net goals to ice the game.Next Home GamesFri., Mar. 22: $1 Beer Night at 7:00 p.m. vs. Newfoundland, pres. by Deibler Dental- $1 Draft Beer- Enter for a chance to win a 2017 Toyota Camry, courtesy of AutoRide of Reading

Sat., Mar. 23 The Anthony Myers Movement Night and American Cancer Society Night: 7:00 p.m. vs. Newfoundland- 3rd Night honoring the American Cancer Society with specialty jerseys -  Enter for a chance to win a 2017 Toyota Camry, courtesy of AutoRide of ReadingSun., Mar. 24 Scout Night: 4:00 p.m. vs. Worcester- Scout Night at the Royals- Pregame Scout activities 1:30pmGroup tickets start at $11 for all Royals home games.About the RoyalsThe Royals are in their 18th ECHL season and 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.