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Reading Royals

Maier Saves 38 as Royals Soar Past Wings in Series Finale, 5-3

December 2, 2023 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (5-10-1-1), proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, earned the win against the Kalamazoo Wings (7-10-0-0), 5-3, on Saturday, December 2 at Santander Arena. Nolan Maier (3-4-0-1) earned the win in net with 38 saves on 41 shots faced. Jonathan Lemieux (5-7-0-0) suffered the loss in net for Kalamazoo with 26 saves on 30 shots faced.

The Royals scored the game's opening goal for a second consecutive contest on Matt Brown's sixth goal of the season 18:04 into the first period. Joe Nardi and Darren Brady earned the helpers on Brown's first of three points in the game (1g-2a), which set a single-game professional career high for the Wood Ridge, New Jersey native.

Kalamazoo scored two goals in a span of 23 seconds to turn the one-goal deficit into a one-goal lead for the visitors, 2-1. Justin Taylor and Collin Adams scored at the 5:12 and 5:35 marks of the second period, respectively.

Tag Bertuzzi evened the score, 2-2, 10:11 into the middle frame on a wrist shot sniped past Lemiuex. Devon Paliani followed up with a goal to restore Reading's lead at 11:45 on the power play. Nardi and Ryan Chyzwoski earned the helpers on Paliani's second goal of the season for a Royals' one-goal lead entering the third period, 3-2.

Nardi improved Reading's lead to two, the largest lead for either team in the two-game series, with a forehand shot past Lemieux on a centering pass from Brown. The goal set three-point games for the linemates Nardi (1g-2a) and Brown (1g-2a). Ty Glover brought the Wings within a goal from tying the score with his sixth tally of the season with 1:59 remaining in regulation.

The Royals held off Kalamazoo's late attempt to even the score with an extra Wings' attacker on the ice. Bertuzzi sealed the game with an empty net goal with 1:15 remaining in regulation. The goal was Bertuzzi's fourth goal through his first two games in a Royals uniform. The 22-year-old joins Chyzowski with team leading two multi-goal games this season.

The Royals hit the road Wednesday for a game against the Adirondack Thunder at Cool Insuring Arena at 7:00 p.m. The Royals return home Friday, December 8th for a La Noche de Los Royales game at 7:00 p.m. Join us for our Military Appreciation Teddy Bear toss game on Saturday, December 9th at 7 p.m. for a against the Trois Rivères Lions. To order tickets, visit royalshockey.com/tickets.

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