NORFOLK, VA – The Reading Royals came out on fire with the first five goals and manhandled the Norfolk Admirals, 6-2, Friday at the Norfolk Scope. The win clinches a top-three seed in the North Division. Linemates Matt Wilkins (1 goal, 2 assists), Matt Willows (1 goal, 2 assists) and Chris McCarthy (3 assists) led the team with three points. Michael Huntebrinker (1 goal, 1 assist) became the ninth Royals rookie to hit 20 goals in a season with his second-period strike. Jack Riley (1 goal, 1 assist) scored his first professional goal with 1:11 left.
Willows tallied on the team’s first shot, becoming the eighth Royals player to hit 70 points in a season. Mark Bennett scored five minutes later (8:30 of first) and Ryan Penny slammed in a power-play goal in the last half of the frame. At the end of one, the Royals led, 3-0. In the second, Wilkins and Huntebrinker tallied.
Mark Dekanich moved to 3-0-0-0 in the season series with 20 denials. Ty Reichenbach surrendered six on 34 attempts.
Willows provided his 31st of the season at 3:19 of the first on a tic-tac-toe setup. Wilkins drove up the gut and fed McCarthy at the right circle. Without hesitating, McCarthy one-touched it to Willows at the left slot. The right-handed shot aimed and sniped it over the glove hand.
The Royals struck again at 8:30 of the first. Riley flung it from the right corner to Bennett at the slot. The forward quickly reversed from his backhand to his forehand and potted his fourth Royals goal.
A power-play goal with 5:55 left in the first created a three-goal edge. Standing at the right corner, Huntebrinker tossed it to Penny all alone at the left doorstep. He jammed it in for his 16th of the season. Steven Swavely had the secondary assist.
With 12:15 to go in the second, the Royals offense churned again with two quick strikes. First, Wilkins one-timed a slot shot past Reichenbach’s upper body to provide a 4-0 lead. McCarthy narrated it to Willows, who drove the left lane and curled it to Wilkins.
Next, a 2-on-1 rush 1:35 later resulted in a five-goal advantage. Huntebrinker received a pass from Wilkins and deposited a shot to the top left shelf from between the circles. Zajac had the secondary assist.
Kenton Helgesen snapped Reading’s momentum with a goal at 14:55 of the second. He deflected a shot attempted by Darik Angeli from the right point. Angeli scored his 24th of the season with 9:34 to go on the power play. Reading was 1-for-4 on the man up and killed off one of Norfolk’s two chances.
Riley scored his first professional goal with a drag at the left post to make it 6-2 Reading with less than two minutes to go. He cradled, kicked it to his forehand and twisted it by the netminder. McCarthy and Willows assisted.
The Royals complete the regular season with FANdemonium on Saturday, April 7th at 7 p.m. versus Norfolk and the Royals are giving out prizes at every whistle. Plus, the first 2,500 fans receive a Royals rally towel, presented by Tower Health.
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