Reading, PA – The Reading Royals, proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, brought home the first win of the season against the Trois-Rivières Lions (4-1-0), 7-6, on Sunday, October 29 at Santander Arena. Jacob Kucharski (1-0-1-0) earned his first professional career win in net with 35 saves on 41 shots faced. Joe Vrbetic (3-1-0) suffered his first loss of the season in net for the Lions with 23 saves on 30 shots faced.
In the concluding game for the Royals home opening weekend, Trois-Rivières struck first 9:50 into the first period. Chris Ortiz tapped in a pass from Nolan Yaremko past Kucharski. Justin Ducharme earned the secondary assist on Ortiz’s first goal of the season.
Ryan Chyzowski evened the score, 1-1, with his team-leading third power play goal of the season in the final 22 seconds of the period. Devon Paliani and Darren Brady earned the helpers on Chyzowski’s team leading 5th goal of the season.
The second period totaled three goals, all scored in the first 5:26 of play. Adam Brubacher put the Royals in front with a goal at 3:53. Brady and Chyzowski earned the assists on Brubacher’s 3rd goal of the season. Trois-Rivières responded 60 seconds later on Matthew Boucher first of three goals in the game. The three goal game was Boucher’s second professional career hat-trick.
At the 5:26, 33 seconds after Boucher tied the score, Tyson Fawcett lasered a rebound past Vrbetic to put Reading ahead, 3-2. Shane Sellar and Chyzowski earned the helpers on Fawcett’s first point of the season, and first point since returning back to the ECHL after 4 seasons in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL).
Both teams combined for eight goals in the third period. Migüel Tourigny struck first 2:11 into the period. Austin Master netted his first goal of his professional career off of a centering pass from Joseph Nardi. Master beat Vrbetic through the netminder’s pads to restore Reading’s lead 4:50 into the period, 4-3. After Boucher’s second goal of the game tied the score, 4-4, Solag Bakich squeezed a puck past Vrbetic in a goal-line scrum to register his first goal of the season. In the final 10 minutes of regulation, Maxim Trèpanier evened the score for Trois-Rivieres with his first goal of his professional career before Nardi earned his second goal of the season to put Reading back in the lead, 6-5.
Boucher scored the Lions’ lone power play goal of the game (1/4) to even the score with 1:42 remaining in regulation. After exiting the penalty box following a penalty late in the period, Paliani skated into the slot and blasted a one-timer delivered from Fawcett past Vrbetic for the game-winning goal with 55 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Royals hit the road for a weekend trip against the Toledo Walleye on Friday night at 7:15 p.m. at Huntington Center in Toledo, OH. The team heads off to Wheeling, VA for a two-game series on Saturday at 7:10 p.m. and Sunday at 4:10 p.m. at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, VA.
To order your tickets to the promotional game, visit: royals hockey.com/tickets
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2023-24 Season Memberships
Reading Royals Season Memberships, six-game plans, ten-game plans, and group tickets are available for the 2023-24 season now 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 22nd season in the ECHL. They won their first Kelly Cup championship in 2013 and have clinched playoff berths in 12 of the previous 13 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.