Royals Complete Comeback in Third to Sweep Thunder, 3-1

Reading, PA - The Reading Royals, proud affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, defeated the Adirondack Thunder, 3-1, on Saturday, January 14th at Santander Arena. The Royals improved to 22-10-1 and won their eighth consecutive contest over the Thunder dating back to April, 2022. Pat Nagle earned his fifth consecutive win with the Royals stopping 37 of 38 shots faced (9-3-0). Isaac Poulter suffered the loss in net for Adirondack with 23 saves on 25 shots faced (3-5-2). 

BOX SCORE 

The Royals were held scoreless through the opening two periods of play for the second time this season, but had exceptional play from Nagle to keep the game within a goal. In the opposite crease, Poulter made two breakaway saves and had some help from his goalpost to keep the Royals off the board through 40 minutes. Two shots off the post brought Reading within inches of tying the score before the third period, but to no avail.

In the third period, the Royals were able to turn their close calls into goal calls in a comeback effort over Adirondack’s defense. Tyler Kirkup evened the score on a rebound coughed up by Poulter that the forward lifted past the netminder’s left pad. Kirkup settled the puck with his skate and kicked it to his forehand to net his sixth goal of the season on the Royals 13th shot of the game. 

Charlie Gerard threaded a shot in between Poulter’s pad and the right post to put Reading ahead with 5:45 remaining in regulation. Gerard and Max Newton connected with a pair of passes at Adirodnack’s goal line until Gerard turned on goal and put the puck off of Poulter’s left pad and into the back of Adirondack’s net for his 14th goal of the season as well as his fourth point in his last three games (3 G, 1 A).

Reading sealed the come from behind victory with an empty net goal off of an Adirondack turnover in their own zone. Brendan Hoffmann sniped the puck into the empty net from the top of the zone for his fifth goal of the season. The goal put the Royals in front by two goals with 59 seconds remaining in regulation.

Reading’s offense scored three unanswered goals in the third period behind Nagle’s 21 saves through the final 40 minutes of play. Reading’s penalty kill unit killed off all three penalties charged to them, for seven-straight penalties killed in the entirety of the two-game series. The Royals were held scoreless on the power play for the first time in their last six games, going 0/2 on the man-advantage. 

The Royals improved to 5-0 in the season series against Adirondack (43-25-7 all-time) and are 2-3 when trailing at home after two periods on the season. Additionally, Reading bolsters a win percentage of .773% against North Division foes, good for the best win percentage among North Division teams against divisional opponents (REA vs. North Div.: 17-4-1).

The Royals continue their four-game homestand on Monday, January 16th against the Maine Mariners at 1:00 p.m. at Santander Arena for the MLK Day promotional game. The Royals conclude the homestand with the Craft Beer / Puck and Putts Night promotional game on Friday, January 20th. Order tickets and see the full ~ promotional schedule ~ now!

Upcoming Games:

• MLK Day - Jan. 16 vs. Maine
  • FREE admission for kids ages 14 and under

• Craft Beer / Pucks & Putts Night - Jan. 20 vs. Norfolk
  • Putts, pucks and cart beer specials! 
  • 4 for $60 deal including 4 tickets, 4 hot dogs, 4 drinks, and 4 pairs of thundersticks. Presented by Deibler Dental
  • Career Fair- click here to sign up!
  • $2 off craft draft beers from 6-7:00 PM

• Flyers Affiliation Night / Women in Sports Night - Jan. 28 vs. Worcester
  • Game presented by Enersys
  • Women in sports night with pre-game Q&A featuring professionals from the Phillies, 76ers, FOX 29, and more!
  • Appearance from Gritty
  • Specialty jersey available for auction
  • Girl Scout Night tickets!
  • Pre-game photo on ice with Slapshot from 6:00-6:15 below section 109
  • $2 off craft draft beers 6-7:00 PM

Four-Game Plan

Join the Reading Royals for FOUR of our biggest games of the year at home! Four-game plan ticket package includes tickets to the following specialty games:

Affiliation Night - January 28th @7:00 p.m.

Pink in the Rink - February 4th @7:00 p.m.

St. Hattrick's Day - March 18th @7:00 p.m.

Fandemonium - April 15th @7:00 p.m.

In addition to a ticket to each game, you will get a burger and soda per ticket, as well as a Royals hat. Contact the Royals front office for pricing details. Quantities are limited so reserve your seat now!2022-23 Season Memberships

Reading Royals season tickets, flex memberships and group tickets are available for the 2022-23 season by visiting the Royals’ box office at Santander Arena or by calling 610-898-7825. 

About the Royals

The Reading Royals, proud affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, are in their 21st season in the ECHL. They won their first Kelly Cup championship in 2013 and have clinched playoff berths in 11 of the previous 12 seasons. They are five-time division champions and were the 2021-22 Eastern Conference champion. The Berks County Convention Center Authority (BCCCA), founded in 1996, owns the Royals and oversees operations at Santander Arena.