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ECHL Reading Royals

Newton Nets OT Goal to Complete Royals' Comeback Win Over Railers, 5-4

January 7, 2023 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Worcester, MA - The Reading Royals, proud affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, defeated the Worcester Railers in overtime, 5-4, on Friday, January 6th at the DCU Center. The Royals improved to 19-9-1 with their tenth win on the road this season (10-5-1). Nolan Maier earned the win in goal with 20 saves on 24 shots faced. The win improved Maier to 1-1 in overtime games this season and earned the rookie netminder his seventh consecutive win as a Royal (7-2-1). Railers goalie Henrik Tikkanen saved 32 of 37 shots faced and dropped his first overtime game of the season (10-8-1).

Trailing by two goals with under two minutes remaining in regulation, Reading began an improbable comeback that was capped off by Max Newton's second goal of the game 3:12 into overtime. After Trey Bradley snapped a wrist shot past Tikkanen's glove with 1:41 remaining in regulation, Shane Sellar scored the equalizer on a rebound coughed up by Worcester's netminder. Sellar lifted the loose puck past Tikannen's left pad to tie the game with 8.5 seconds remaining in the third period and sent the game to overtime, 4-4.

Newton completed the comeback with a goal relished by those who witnessed it. Newton crossed the blue line and raced down the left wing where Railers' defenseman Brent Beaudoin stepped up to meet the rookie forward. Newton pulled the puck back to his right skate and drew the puck in between the legs of Beaudoin as he dangled his way past the defenseman. Newton flicked the puck from his backhand over to his forehand in stride and in one swift motion sniped the top right corner of Worcester's net to win the game for Reading.

The overtime goal was Newton's first of his professional career and earned Reading's second overtime win of the season (2-1).

The Royals came back from two goals down late in the third after allowing back-to-back goals from Railers' forwards Zach Bross and Nolan Vesey. Bross scored on a rebound off of Maier's left pad for his first professional career goal with 4:43 remaining in the third period. Vesey scored the insurance goal 2:18 later to put the Railers up with a two-goal lead eventually erased by Reading late in regulation.

Each team scored two goals through the opening 40 minutes of play for a tie score after two periods, 2-2. Charlie Gerard put Reading on the board first with a redirection over Tikannen's glove off of a saucer pass from Newton. Bradley and Newton earned the helpers on Gerard's 11th goal of the season for their first points in the game.

The Railers turned a one-goal deficit into a one-goal lead with two goals in a span of 48 seconds in the second period. Defensemen Jared Brandt and Myles McGurty sent wrist shots from the blue line past Maier for their fourth and second goals of the season respectively.

Newton scored his team leading fourth power play goal of the season 13:20 into the second period to send the game into the third period tied, 2-2.

The four goals combined in the third period featured Reece Newkirk's second assist of the game for his sixth multi-point game of the season while Newton (2 G, 2 A) and Bradley (1 G, 2 A) each tallied points in their tenth and ninth mutli-point games of the season respectively. With two goals, Newton earned his team leading sixth multi-goal game of the season in addition to his professional career. His four points set a single game professional career high, surpassing three points earned three times before by Newton.

The Royals improved to 2-0 in the season series against Worcester (30-13-5 all-time) and are 4-1 in games when the score is tied after two periods. Additionally, Reading holds the best win percentage (.736%) among North Division teams against divisional opponents (REA vs. North Div.: 14-4-1).

The Royals return home on Saturday, January 7th to host Worcester at 7:00 p.m. at Santander Arena in the Star Wars and Pediatric Cancer promotional game.

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