READING, PA – The Reading Royals completed the regular season with a 5-2 win over the Norfolk Admirals in front of a season-high 6,317 fans Saturday at Santander Arena. Chris McCarthy (1 goal, 2 assists) topped the Royals on the score sheet and Reading ripped three goals in the third period. Chase Golightly (2 assists) and Matt Willows (1 goal, 1 assist) had multi-point games. Jack Riley scored for the second straight game for insurance in the third period.
The Royals were 39-24-9-0 this regular season, good for 87 points. Reading is second in the North Division, one point in front of Manchester. The Monarchs play Sunday at Worcester and need at least one point to jump the Royals for home-ice advantage.
Willows scored the game’s first goal in the opening period. He completed the regular season with 32 goals and 74 points, best on the team.
Mark Dekanich blocked 38 shots for his second straight win, including 19 in the third. On the other side, the Royals set a season high with 48 shots. Jamie Murray finished with a no-decision for Norfolk and was pulled after the second period (36 saves, 38 shots). Dillon Kelley replaced Murray and made seven saves on nine shots and took the loss in his first professional appearance. Matt Wilkins potted an empty-net goal, his 20th of the season, to ice the game in the final minute.
For the second straight game, Willows deposited the opening goal. With less than three minutes to go in the first McCarthy curled it to Viktor Liljegren at the left slot and Liljegren fired it net front. After batting off Murray, Willows quickly flashed the rebound in from the left post at 17:09 of the frame.
McCarthy extended the lead to 2-0 at :56 of the second. He drove up the right wing and into the zone, picked the far post and shot it across Murray’s body and in. Willows and Golightly took the helpers.
Domenic Alberga intercepted a cross-ice pass and scored on Admirals’ next shot 38 seconds later, cutting Reading’s advantage to 2-1.
The offenses were dormant until Steven Swavely scored his 13th of the season at 12:42 of the third, assisted by Adam Schmidt and Matias Cleland. Swavely cradled bottom of the left circle and lasered it over Kelley.
Max Cook cut the Reading edge back to one, 3-2, with a tip in at the left post three minutes later.
At 15:57, just 32 seconds later, Golightly fired it from the right point and Riley deflected it high over Kelley’s shoulder for his second professional goal. Riley scored his first career goal Friday at Norfolk. Steven Johnson took credit for his first Royals point, netting the secondary assist.
Royals Head Coach Kirk MacDonald called out Wilkins in the final minute with Wilkins sitting on 19 goals in the regular season. Wilkins eyed the empty net with 15 seconds left and lofted it from the Royals line and into the Admirals goal. Wilkins had ten goals last season and completed this season with 20 goals and 47 points.
Portions of the Royals ticket proceeds from Saturday’s game supported victims of the Humboldt Broncos tragedy.
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