READING, PA – Nolan Zajac cranked a slap shot past Colin Stevens at 1:12 of overtime and the Reading Royals won in the extra session for the second straight game, 2-1, over the Wheeling Nailers Sunday at Santander Arena.
Goaltender John Muse (37 saves) fought off a tough chance at the left circle to begin the 3-on-3 and center Mark Naclerio scooped it up and fed to Zajac. Skating the full length of the ice, the first-year Royal bombed it from the left circle. The Royals are 2-0-0-0 and handed the Nailers their first lost.
Both teams failed to score in the second and third period. Matt Willows scored the opening goal halfway through the first, assisted by Mark Naclerio and Adam Comrie.
Colin Stevens took the loss with 28 saves. The Nailers dropped their first game of the season (3-0-1-0).
The Royals are home Thursday at 7:00 p.m. against Toledo.
The Royals pounced first with a Willows strike at 8:40 of the first. Playing a two-man game, Naclerio centered it to Willows and the third-year pro threw it past Stevens. Willows has goals in consecutive games to start the campaign.
Wheeling’s power play equalized with 3:13 to go in the first. Reid Gardiner received a pass to the slot and he stashed it in for his third goal.
The Royals killed off a pair of 5-on-3 chances in the second, plus a five-minute power play assessed against defenseman Adam Comrie. He was given a game misconduct for slashing in the middle portions of the second.
The Nailers were 1-for-6 on the power play while he Royals were 0-for-5.
With Reading match report
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