The Reading Royals, proud affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, defeated the Wheeling Nailers, 4-1, Wednesday, Feb. 23 at Wesbanco Arena. In his Royals debut, goaltender Logan Flodell saved 27 of 28 shots while Nailers goalie Stefanos Lekkas saved 33 of 36 shots.
Reading got on the board first and did so on the beginning of a career night for Royals’ forward, Kenny Hausinger. An ECHL career high four-point night began with one of his three goals in the game 12:05 into the first period. Hausinger crashed towards Wheeling’s net on a Royals’ offensive break led by Jacob Pritchard and buried a rebound off Lekkas’ right pad to put Reading ahead early, 1-0.
Dominic Cormier extended the Royals lead in the opening period with his 11th goal of the season. Dancing with the puck along the blue line, Cormier snapped a wrist shot on net while skaters for both teams battled for positioning in front of Wheeling’s net, screening Lekkas from seeing the impending shot in the process. Cormier’s shot beat Lekkas glove side as Hausinger and Patrick McNally assisted on the goal for a Reading lead after the first period, 2-0.
Hausinger added cushion to Reading’s lead with the lone goal in the second period. Skating from behind Wheeling's net into the left face-off circle, Hausinger ripped a wrist shot past Lekkas’ right shoulder to jolt the Royals ahead by three heading into the final period of regulation.
After a successful penalty kill by Wheeling, the Nailers found a way to put one of their 28 total shots on Logan Flodell into the back of the net. Fresh out of the penalty box after being called for a goalie interference penalty, Patrick Watling joined Bobby Hampton on an offensive break and buried a cross crease pass from Hampton into the back of Reading’s net. Watling’s second goal in two games served as the only goal of the game for the Nailers who entered the game as a league’s sixth best 3.5 goals for game average.
With an extra attacker on the ice and Nailers’ net empty, a strong defensive poke check from Mason Millman and a pass from Trevor Gooch gave Kenny Hausinger the puck and space at the Royals’ blue line to deliver a shot into the empty net to complete the hat trick. Hausinger is the fourth skater and fifth hat trick of the season for Reading. He joins Patrick Bajkov who has two three-goal games while both Thomas Ebbing and Trevor Gooch each have one hat trick on the season.
The Royals take on the Indy Fuel Friday, Feb. 25th, at 7:00 p.m. at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
UPCOMING GAMES
READING PREMIUM NIGHT PRESENTED BY SLY FOX TAPHOUSE - 3/5/22
- $1 Reading Premium drafts
- Scout Night
- Frank DiChiara bobblehead giveaway presented by Savage Auto Group
- Coaster giveaway presented by Deibler Dental
- Specialty jersey
AFFILIATION NIGHT - 3/18/22
- Affiliation Night presented by Enersys
- Flyers Friday presented by Deibler Dental
- Gritty and meLVin Appearance
- Kirill Ustimenko bobblehead giveaway, presented by Savage Auto Group
- PA Lotto giveaway
- Specialty jersey
- 4 for $48 - 4 tickets, 4 burgers, 4 sodas
ST.HATTRICK’S NIGHT - 3/19/22
- Green Ice
- Retro lunchbox giveaway presented by Deibler Dental
- $10,000 giveaway
- Speciality jersey
- Green beer