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ECHL Reading Royals

Sellar Nets First Pro Hat-Trick, Royals Steamroll Railers, 5-2

December 15, 2023 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (7-12-1-1), proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, defeated the Worcester Railers (8-10-2-2), 5-2, on Friday, December 15 at Santander Arena. Parker Gahagen (1-2-0-0) earned the win in net with 26 saves on 28 shots faced. Tristan Lennox (5-5-1-1) started in goal for Worcester Railers and had 18 saves on 21 shots faced. At 33:06, Joel Eisenhower stepped in goal in relief of Lennox who sustained a lower-body injury. Eisenhower had 8 saves on 10 shots faced.

At 17:14 into the opening frame, Railers' forward Anthony Repaci finished off a breakaway rush led by Reece Newkirk by tapping in the rebound left in Reading's crease following a save by Gahagen. Newkirk earned the helper on Repaci's fifth goal of the season.

Sellar answered with three goals in the second period for the first hat-trick of his professional career. At 5:21, Shane Sellar capped off a 2-on-1 rush with Tag Bertuzzi with a backhand shot lifted past Lennox. Matt Brown earned the secondary assist on Sellar's first goal of the game. The second goal came just 44 seconds later as Sellar rifled a wrist shot under the crossbar at 6:05 into the middle frame.

At 13:06, Sellar received a pass from Wil Zmolek at the boards and snapped a wrist shot past Lennox. With the three-goal game, Sellar became the 50th player in franchise history to record a hat-trick. Sellar's hat-trick was the 61st hat-trick in Royals franchise history. Zmolek and Austin Master earned the helpers.

In the opening two minutes of the final frame, Bertuzzi put one through the top shelf on Eisenhower to extend Reading's lead, 4-1. Joe Nardi earned the lone assist. Blade Jenkins cut the deficit in half, 4-2, with a goal at 3:55. Ryan Verrier earned the lone helper.

Brayden Guy restored Reading's three-goal lead with his second goal in as many games. Guy forced a turnover in Worcester's zone and snapped a one-timer past Eisenhower at 14:19 for his second goal as a Royal.

The Royals travel to Norfolk, VA for a three-game series with the Norfolk Admirals on Wednesday, December 20th at 7:05 pm, Friday, December 22nd at 7:05 pm, and Saturday, December 23rd at 6:05 pm at Norfolk Scope Arena.

The Royals return home to host the Worcester Railers in a three-game series beginning on December 29 for a Hearing Loss Awareness Night presented by OneWell Health Care. To order tickets, visit royalshockey.com/tickets.

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