St. John's, NL – The Reading Royals, proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, fell to the Newfoundland Growlers (3-0-0), 2-1, in overtime on Sunday, October 22 at the Mary Brown’s Centre. Jake Kucharski (0-0-1) suffered the overtime loss in his ECHL debut. The Erie, Pennsylvania native saved 24 of the 26 shots faced in net for Reading. Dryden McKay (2-0-0) earned the victory in net for the Growlers with 34 saves on 35 shots faced.
Neither goaltender allowed one of the combined 39 shots on goal past them through the first two periods. 17 saves for Kucharski and 22 saves for McKay entering the third period teased the idea of overtime in the series finale. While it wasn’t scoreless after 60 minutes, overtime was required to determine the series finale victor.
Jackson Berezowski broke the scoreless affair to put Newfoundland in front with his first goal of the game 12:15 into the third period. Brock Caufield and Cory Dennis earned the helpers on Berezowski’s wrist shot through Kucharski’s pads for the game’s first goal.
Reading responded 1:03 later to even the score back up on Yvan Mongo’s first goal of the season. Off of a centering pass delivered by Adam Brubacher from the right face-off circle, Mongo deflected the puck past McKay to tie the score, 1-1. Joseph Nardi earned the secondary helper for his second point of the series.
Despite having a 5-on-3 man-advantage and five of the final six shots on goal in the final four minutes of play, the Royals could not convert and secure the game-winning goal.
2:03 into the extra frame, Berezowski buried the game winner for his second goal of the game and team-leading seventh point on the weekend. Tyler Weiss provided the lone assist with a laser pass across Kucharski’s crease to set up the OT winner.
Newfoundland had all four shots on goal in the overtime period. The Royals outshot the Growlers 35 to 26 in the game.
The Royals host the Trois-Rivières Lions in their first home game of the season at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 28 at Santander Arena. The Royals Opening Night presented by Supportive Concepts For Families features a pregame block party on Penn St. from 3-6 p.m. as well as a post-game firework show.
To secure your tickets to the home opener and all 36 home games this season, 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.