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Royals Drop New Year’s Eve Face-off with Nailers, 7-3

Tuesday, December 31st
Royals Drop New Year’s Eve Face-off with Nailers, 7-3

Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (10-17-4-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, fell to the Wheeling Nailers (22-5-1-0), 7-3, at WesBanco Arena on Tuesday, December 31st. Goaltender Keith Petruzzelli (4-10-3-0) suffered the loss in goal with 24 saves on 31 shots faced. Wheeling’s goaltender Taylor Gauthier (5-2-0-0) earned the win with 25 saves on 28 shots faced.

BOX SCORE

Wheeling scored two goals in a span of 27 seconds to take an early 2-0 lead after 20 minutes. Matt Koopman (3) beat Petruzzelli at 17:43 before Matthew Quercia (7) shoveled a shot from the slot into the back of the net at 18:10.

Matt Brown put Reading on the board 22 seconds into the second period to draw the score back within one, 2-1. The Nailers, however, scored 16 seconds later to restore their two-goal lead on Mathieu De St. Phalle’s 12th goal of the season and seventh against the Royals. Jack Beck (6), Kyle Jackson (14) and David Jankowski (4) tallied three consecutive Wheeling goals to put the Nailers up 6-1 at 5:10 into the third period. 

Mason Primeau (4) and Todd Skirving (8) scored back-to-back goals for Reading at 9:16 and 11:30 into the final frame, respectively, to bring the deficit within three goals until Bennet MacArthur (3) notched Wheeling’s seventh goal of the game, all from seven different Nailers skaters, at 16:05 of the third period.

Reading opens the 2025 calendar year at Worcester for a two-game road series against the Railers on Friday, January 3rd at 7:05 PM and Saturday, January 4th at 6:05 PM.

The Royals return home to host the Trois-Rivières Lions for a three-game series on Friday, January 10th and Saturday, January 11th at 7 PM, as well as Sunday, January 12th at 3 PM. The home games feature the 'Fans Pick the Music Night,' Star Wars Night, and Puck N' Pancakes promotional games, respectively.

For tickets to all home games this season, visit: Single Game Tickets

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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 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.