GLENS FALLS, NY – The Reading Royals, proud affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, beat the Adirondack Thunder, 5-2, on Friday, January 21st at Cool Insuring Arena. Royals goaltender Kirill Ustimenko saved 35 of 37 shots, while Thunder goalie Mareks Mitens saved 27 of 32. 
Adirondack got on the board first and did so with a pair of goals. Joe Masonius contributed to both, earning assists on Robbie Payne’s goal on a deflection from Masonius’ slapshot at the blue line, and then earning an assist on Patrick Grasso’s 11th of the season, scoring on a feed from behind Ustimenko’s net for an early Adirondack lead at 2-0.
The Royals came storming back in the middle period, scoring three-straight goals. Trevor Gooch cut the deficit in half with a wrist shot snapped past Mitens’ glove. At the halfway mark of the period, Anthony Gagnon lit the lamp for his eighth goal of the season off a feed from Patrick Bajkov to tie the game at 2-2.
Thirty seconds later, Dominic Cormier gave Reading its first lead of the game. After corralling a cross-ice pass from Kenny Hausinger, Cormier put the puck on his forehand, skated into the slot, and delivered a shot top-shelf to put Reading ahead 3-2.
Six minutes and 40 seconds into the third period, the Royals extended their lead. Bajkov carried the puck into the Adirondack zone, dangled around a defenseman, stepped up in the slot and Mitens’ right pad for his 15th goal of the season. Bajkov’s score tallied his 7th goal and 11th point in the last six games.
Reading rounded out the final 13 minutes of play with a goal off the stick of Patrick McNally set up by Brad Morrison’s dangles and cross-ice pass to make it a three-goal lead at 5-2 for the Royals.
The Royals host the Trois-Rivières Lions on Saturday, January 22nd, at 4 p.m. at Santander Arena.
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