ESTERO, Fla. – The Florida Everblades sealed a 4-1 win over the Reading Royals at Hertz Arena in front of 7,094 fans, with Patrick Kyte providing the insurance goal and Hudson Elynuik adding an empty-netter to put the game out of reach.

Florida struck first with a rebound goal from Reid Duke, coming off a setup by Jett Jones. The Everblades carried that momentum through the opening period, outshooting the Reading Royals 13-9.

In the second frame, Reading answered back with the equalizer, as Carter Schade found the back of the net from the top of the circle, with Connor McMenamin picking up the assist. Despite the goal, Florida continued to control the pace, extending their shot advantage to 28-18.

The Everblades regained the lead with a goal from Anthony Romano, assisted by Hudson Elynuik and Cole Moberg. Kyte later added an insurance goal for Florida, with assists from Oliver Chau and Zach Berzolla. With the Reading net empty, Elynuik sealed it with an empty-net goal, extending the Everblades’ lead to 4-1.

The Everblades will face the Royals once again tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Hertz Arena in their final regular-season matchup before opening their playoff run next week, with Games 1 and 2 scheduled for April 24 and 25.

BLADES BITS

• This was the first meeting between the two clubs since Decemeber 12, 2015.
• Kyte’s goal was his second with the Everblades.