Norfolk, VA - The Reading Royals (28-33-5-2), proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, defeated the Norfolk Admirals (39-21-6-1) in overtime, 2-1, on Wednesday, April 3rd at Norfolk Scope Arena. Parker Gahagen (9-3-0-0) earned the win in net for the Royals with 32 saves on 33 shots faced. Goaltender Yaniv Perets (17-11-3-0) suffered the loss for the Admirals with 21 saves on 23 shots faced.
Both teams remained scoreless after 20 minutes. 17:01 into the opening frame, Gahagen robbed Carson Musser of a chance of burying it in the back of the net with a split save off of the right pad. Norfolk had one power play that failed to convert into a game-opening goal. Norfolk had 14 shots on goal against Reading’s eight in the first period.
In the middle frame, Stepan Timofeyev took advantage of the open slot on Gahagen and tucked it into the back of the net on a cross crease pass from Brady Fleurent. Fleurent and Darick Louis-Jean earned the assists on Timofeyev’s 19th goal of the season. With 6:46 left in the middle frame, Gahagen made a save over the top of his net against the Admirals to keep Reading’s deficit at one-goal after 40 minutes, 1-0.
14:35 into the third period, Darren Brady earned the lone goal for Reading in regulation on a shorthanded goal through the legs of Perets for the equalizer, 1-1. Shane Sellar and Devon Paliani earned the helpers on Reading’s third shorthanded goal of the season. At 15:07, Gahagen made back-to-back saves against Fleurent off the right pad in the scorpion position to keep the score tied after regulation.
1:34 into overtime, off of a pass from Joe Nardi, Brady netted his second overtime game-winning goal and 5th goal on the season with a shot from the slot that trickled between the pads of Perets and across the goal line. The victory was the first win on the road for the Royals when trailing after two periods (1-15-0).
The Royals continue their series against the Admirals on Friday, April 5th at 7:05 p.m. and Saturday, April 6th at 6:05 p.m. at the Norfolk Scope Arena.
The Royals return home for their final two regular-season games on Friday, April 12th, and Saturday, April 13th. Both games are 7:00 p.m. puck drops at Santander Arena.
The home games feature the Royals Youth Hockey Night on the 12th and Fandemonium Night on the 13th. Fans can enjoy a 'Youth Hockey Jamboree' and a pre-game Happy Hour from 6-7:00 p.m. on the 12th before we celebrate our amazing fans with giveaways and prizes at every stoppage for Fandemonium Night on the 13th!
To order tickets, visit royalshockey.com/tickets
-
2024-25 Season Memberships
Royals365 Season Memberships, six-game plans, ten-game plans, and group tickets are available for the 2024-25 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.