Reading doubles up on Wheeling

WHEELING, WV – After allowing an early goal, the Reading Royals struck for five straight and blistered the Wheeling Nailers, 6-3, Saturday at Wesbanco Arena. Matt Wilkins scored two goals for the second straight game and started the run, responding to Cody Wydo’s opening goal at 7:14 of the first. Matt Willows scored two minutes later to continue the explosion. In the second, Wilkins, Michael Huntebrinker (2 goals) and Adam Schmidt scored.

Chris McCarthy assisted on three strikes to tie a career-high helping effort. Reading’s top line of Wilkins-McCarthy-Willows factored on three of Reading’s six goals.

The Royals finished an eight-game road trip with a 3-1-4-0 record. Reading is up to 72 points and sits third in the North Division, three behind first-place Manchester.

Branden Komm allowed one goal each period and moved to 6-1-1-0 with Reading, denying 24 shots. Danny Tirone was pulled after the second (loss, 18 saves, 23 shots). Adam Morrison finished the third for Wheeling with 12 denials.

The Royals bossed a 2-1 advantage after the first period, scoring the last two. Wydo sprung Wheeling ahead with his seventeenth career goal against Reading at 3:38 of the first, slamming home a rebound at the left post. Komm initially denied Reid Gardiner on a right-circle shot.

At 7:14 of the first, Wilkins poked a rebound over Tirone’s right shoulder and tied the game. Frank Hora ripped a shot off Tirone and Wilkins quickly smacked it in. McCarthy earned his first assist of the period. Willows capitalized on a rush chance 1:50 later. After receiving a pass from McCarthy across the Nailers’ right-wing stripe. Willows sniped it to the far post and in. He leads the Royals with 26 goals.

In the second, Huntebrinker scored on the man up at 7:07 of the period. Tyler Brown whipped it wide left of the net and it bounced to Huntebrinker at the left post. He deftly backhanded it to the top shelf and roofed it over the 5-foot-11 netminder Tirone. Steven Swavely had the secondary assist.

With 6:37 of the period, Wilkins tied a professional-best two-goal effort by deflecting a right-point shot aimed by McCarthy. Wilkins deflected by the glove. One minute and 22 seconds later, Schmidt took a wide angle on a wraparound shot at the right post. It knocked off a Nailers defender in front and sputtered into the back of the cage to provide the Royals a 5-1 lead.

Huntebrinker restored a four-goal lead after Wheeling scored late in the second. At 7:39 of the third, the Royals forward intercepted a blind pass to the slot. Huntebrinker took a quick crank and mashed it in for his 18th of the season and made it 6-2 Royals.

Garrett Meurs recorded Wheeling’s second power-play goal and finished the game’s scoring with a wrist shot and 6:08 left in the third.

Reading killed off two of Wheeling’s four man-up chances. The Royals were 1-for-5 on the man up.

The Royals return home Wednesday, March 14 against Fort Wayne.