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ECHL Reading Royals

Connor Scores First Pro Goal, Royals Routed by Thunder, 5-2

March 29, 2024 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (26-33-5-2), proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Adirondack Thunder (39-17-5-3), 5-2, on Friday, March 29th at Cool Insuring Arena. Nolan Maier (15-17-3-2) suffered the loss in net for the Royals with 32 saves on 36 shots faced. Goaltender Isaac Poulter (2-0-0-0) earned the win in net for Adirondack with 20 saves on 22 shots faced.

The Thunder opened the scoring at 8:44 into the opening frame when Ryan Wheeler took a shot from the goal line past Maier. Wheeler's seventh goal of the season was unassisted. 39 seconds later at 9:23, Andre Ghantous scored on a loose puck in front of Reading's net to extend Adirondack's lead, 2-0. Tristan Ashbrook and Erik Middendorf earned the helpers on Ghantous's third goal this season. Tag Bertuzzi answered back for Reading with a wrist shot that beat Poulter from the bottom of the left face-off circle. Tyson Fawcett and Yvan Mongo earned the assists on Bertuzzi's 17th goal of the season, which tied Jake Smith, Ryan Chyzowski and Joe Nardi for the team lead in goals.

Neither team scored during the middle frame. Each team failed to convert on a power play during the second period. Maier made 10 saves and Poulter made 12 saves against Reading.

55 seconds into the final frame, Middendorf lasered a shot past Maier from the blue line. Ghantous earned the lone helper on the power play goal to earn a multi-point game. He would be joined by Erik Middendorf and Tristan Ashbrook as three Thunder skaters with one goal and one assist in the game.

Powell Connor scored his first professional career goal at 3:46 with a wrist shot snapped past the glove of Poulter on a give-and-go pass from Jake Brocknell. Bricknell and Ryan Cox earned the helpers on Connor's goal that cut the deficit back to one, 3-2.

At 7:17, Ryan Smith restored Adirondack's two-goal lead with a wrist shot from the top of the left face-off circle. Mac Welsher and T.J. Friedman earned the helpers on Smith's 26th goal of the season. Maier was pulled at 3:28 and an extra attacker came on for Reading, but left to no avail of a Royals comeback. Ashbrook took advantage of the empty net and scored his 26th goal of the season, unassisted.

The Royals continue their season-long six-game road stretch in Adirondack for another matchup against the Thunder on Saturday, March 30th at 7:00 p.m. at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls, NY.

The Royals return home for their final two games of the regular season on Friday, April 12th and Saturday, April 13th. Both games are 7:00 p.m. puck drops at Santander Arena.

To order tickets, visit royalshockey.com/tickets.

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