Dekanich turns away 50 in Royals shutout win

READING, PA – Reading Royals goaltender Mark Dekanich tied a career high with 50 saves and Reading scored three quick goals in the first to shut out the Wheeling Nailers 4-0 Friday night at Santander Arena. Four Royals notched multi-point games.

Scott Tanski (1 goal, 1 assist) scored with eight minutes left in the first. Matt Willows (2 goals) and Michael Huntebrinker (1 goal, 1 assist) scored eight seconds apart to jet the Royals to a 3-0 edge with 1:25 to go in the frame. Wheeling’s Adam Morrison suffered the loss, allowing four goals on 38 shots.

Mark Dekanich made 21 saves in the second frame, matching his season best in a period. Through two periods, Dekanich was perfect with 33 denials. In the third, he denied 17 shots. Dekanich last had 50 stops in Game 5 of the 2017 North Division Semifinals, a 2-1 OT loss to Brampton.

Tanski scored his first goal of the season with 8:01 to go in the frame, sniping it from the left dot to the far post. He entered the zone on the rush after Michael Huntebrinker chipped him the puck up the wall. Brian Morgan earned the secondary assist in his first ECHL game.

The end-of-first-period explosion started with Willows’ eighth of the season, assisted by Chris McCarthy and Tanski. Willows shot it off his back heel from the left circle. It deflected and waffled over Morrison’s left shoulder.

Off the ensuing face-off, Reading entered the zone on the left-wing side. A shot from Ryan Penny jabbed off Morrison’s left pad, settling perfectly at the right circle for Huntebrinker. The rookie forward slammed home his sixth of the season. That goal gave Reading a comfortable 3-0 edge after one. Nick Luukko had the secondary assist.

With nine minutes left in the second, Willows potted his second of the night on a two-on-one with McCarthy. Willows patiently waited for a cross-ice pass at the right circleand fired it home. Derek Whitmore received the secondary assist. Willows now leads the Royals with 23 points this season.

The Royals were 0-for-1 on the man up and fended off all three Wheeling power-play chances.

The Royals will play a rematch game with Wheeling on Saturday, Dec. 16 for the annual Teddy Bear Toss game and Ugly Sweater Jerseys at 7:00 p.m.