READING, PA — The Reading Royals earned a season-best eighth consecutive win after three first-period goals powered them past Newfoundland, 4-3, Friday at Santander Arena. The Royals (31-13-5-0, 67 points) sit six points behind first-place Newfoundland (36-15-0-1, 73 points) in the North Division with two games in hand.
Felix Sandström stopped 28 of 31 shots for his fifth consecutive victory.
Eight straight wins is the longest win streak since Kirk MacDonald became Royals Head Coach in 2017. The streak matches the team’s longest winning streak since 2016-17.
The Royals have outscored their foes 39-15 during the eight games, including a plus-17 goal differential in the second period (21 goals for, 4 goals against).
Forward Matthew Strome opened the scoring five minutes into the first period with his sixth goal of the season. Forward Lewis Zerter-Gossage (Royals debut) recorded the secondary assist on Strome’s high-glove finish.
The Growlers tied the game four minutes later when Matt Bradley beat a screened Sandström blocker side from the right face-off circle.
The Royals required 15 seconds to retake the lead for good; Frank DiChiara scored left doorstep on a rebound, stuffing it past a sprawled Parker Gahagen (Loss, 4 goals allowed, 21 saves) for his 17th strike of the campaign.
Brayden Low added the team’s third goal of the game with 1:17 remaining in the first. Low crossed the offensive blue line, deked right through two Growlers defenders and backhanded it through Gahagen’s five-hole to make it 3-1.
In the second, Hayden Hodgson extended the Royals’ lead to 4-1 after Newfoundland defenseman Trent Bourque fanned on a point shot, which gifted Hodgson a breakaway glove-side goal.
Newfoundland cuts it to one late: Despite leading 4-1 entering the third, Newfoundland scored twice, including a strike in the final ten seconds, to make it a one-goal game. Two and a half minutes into the third, Newfoundland dipped the deficit to two. Justin Brazeau skated up the left wing down low and beat Sandström high-glove on the doorstep, making it 4-2.
Newfoundland added a third goal with 9.6 seconds to play. Zach O’Brien found a loose puck on the doorstep in traffic and tucked it low.
Sandy’s fifth straight win: Felix Sandström’s 28-save performance extended his win streak to five games, which dates back to a 7-2 home win vs. Atlanta on February 7th.
Sandström picked up his 11th win on the season (11-10-0-0) and fourth against Newfoundland. In his past five starts, Sandström has stopped 114 of 126 shots faced.
Middle Frame Domination: Friday marked the 17th game in a row in which the Royals scored a goal during the middle period. The streak started on January 4th against Worcester, a 5-2 loss.
The Royals are 13-3-1-0 since January 4th and are outscoring opponents 34-9 in the second period during the 17-game span. Reading has tallied 21 second-period goals during the active eight-game win streak.
The Royals are back on the ice at Santander Arena on Saturday night when they host the Brampton Beast at 7 p.m. It is Marvel Night with Spider-Man themed jerseys.
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