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Cassaro, Gratton Score in Royals Road Loss to Wheeling, 6-2

Sunday, December 8th
Cassaro, Gratton Score in Royals Road Loss to Wheeling, 6-2

Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (7-12-4-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, fell to the Wheeling Nailers (15-3-1-0), 6-2, at WesBanco Arena on Sunday, December 8th. Goaltender Keith Petruzzelli (4-5-3-0) suffered the loss in goal with 24 saves on 30 shots faced while Nailers goaltender Sergei Murashov (9-2-0-0) earned his eighth-straight win in goal with Wheeling with 27 saves on 29 shots faced.

BOX SCORE

Wheeling carried a 1-0 lead into the second period after David Jankowski scored the game’s opening goal 8:34 into the first period on a tic-tac-toe connection for his second goal of the season. Shane Sellar was denied from scoring the equalizer for Reading on a shorthanded breakaway stopped by Murashov late in the first period

Jordan Martel scored two of Wheeling’s three goals in the second period, to put the Nailers ahead 4-1 entering the third period. Martel’s goals came at 3:53 and 19:10 around Gianfranco Cassaro’s fifth goal of the season for the Royals at 5:46 and Logan Pietila’s second goal of the season for the Nailers at 17:30.

Wheeling extended their lead to four goals 1:37 into the final frame on Matty De St. Phalle’s seventh goal of the season, 5-1. Tyler Gratton answered back to the Nailers three-straight goals with his seventh tally of the season at 4:56 into the third period. The goal tied Gratton with Connor McMenamin for Reading’s team lead in goals scored (7).

Martel earned his third professional career hat trick and Wheeling’s sixth goal of the game with a power play strike past Petruzzelli at 11:36 of the third period. All three career hat tricks for Martel have been registered against the Royals, with the first two coming in the 2023-24 season. 

The Royals travel to Worcester to take on the Railers on Wednesday, December 11th at 7:05 PM at the DCU Center. The Royals return home for a two-game series against the Wheeling at Santander Arena on Friday, December 13th and Saturday, December 14th at 7:00 PM.

For tickets to the home games, visit: Single Game Tickets

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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 23rd season in the ECHL. They won their first Kelly Cup championship in 2013 and have clinched playoff berths in 12 of the previous 14 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.