The Reading Royals, proud affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, earned their 2nd preseason win in a 4-2 victory over the Adirondack Thunder Saturday, Oct. 16th at Santander Arena. Royals goaltender Pat Nagle saved 22 of 24 shots, while Thunder goalie Brandon Kasel saved 25 of 29.
Grant Cooper got the Royals on the board early on a juicy rebound in the first period. After an awkward angled shot from Garrett Cecere at the left side of Kasel’s cage, the puck banked off Kasel’s right pad and landed on the blade of Cooper’s stick. Cooper sent the puck between the goaltender’s blocker and leg pad to make it 1-0.
Four minutes later, the Royals added some cushion to their lead when Patrick Bajkov went top shelf on Kasel, but the Thunder responded with their first tally, scoring on a flailing shot on net by Ryan Smith that bounced off Brayden Low and past a screened Nagle to make it 2-1.
Both teams found the back of the net on power plays in the second period. Adirondack lit the lamp first when Nick Rivera squeaked the puck through the five-hole of Nagle, tying the game at two.
Late in the period, Reading went back on top thanks to a one-timer off the blade of Frank DiChiara. He capitalized on an open net after Kasel was screened by his defenseman. Patrick McNally’s tape-to-tape cross ice pass to DiChiara was his second assist of the night, and it propelled the Royals back ahead, 3-2.
Jacob Pritchard scored the game’s final goal midway through the third period. Kenny Hausinger skated down the left wing and tipped the puck past Kasel glove side. The puck slowly submerged behind him, and Pritchard pushed it over the line.
The Royals begin regular season play on the road against the Norfolk Admirals Friday, Oct. 22nd at 7:30 p.m. at Norfolk Scope Arena.
Reading Royals season, flex memberships and group tickets are available for the 2021-22 season 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 entering their 20th season in the ECHL. They won their first Kelly Cup championship in 2013 and have clinched playoff berths in 10 of the previous 11 seasons. They are four-time division champions. The Berks County Convention Center Authority (BCCCA), founded in 1996, owns the Royals and oversees operations at Santander Arena.