READING, PA – Hayden Hodgson scored twice, Thomas Ebbing set a career high with four points (2 goals, 2 assists) and the Reading Royals rolled to a 5-1 win at the Wheeling Nailers Tuesday at Wesbanco Arena. Reading trails Newfoundland by three points for first place in the North Division and boasts a nine-point edge on Brampton for the second seed. The Royals have 37 wins through 60 games, the fifth time in team history Reading has at least 37 wins in that span. Felix Sandström blocked 17 shots in victory.
Hodgson started the scoring at 4:01 of the first on a breakaway and Reading never trailed. He then scored the Royals’ fourth goal on a snipe from the right-wing circle that eluded Emil Larmi’s glove (loss, 33 saves) in the final five minutes of the second.
In addition to Hodgson’s opening goal, the Royals scored in the first with an Ebbing slam to take an 18-5 shots edge and 2-0 score into first break. Former Nailers defenseman Aaron Titcomb assisted on both goals. On the second strike, Titcomb fed Garrett Cecere at left point. Cecere’s shot went off the right pad of Larmi and straight to Ebbing for the goal at left post.
Rob Michel recorded his team-defensemen-leading eighth of the campaign at 2:10 of the 2nd, assisted by Matthew Strome and David Drake. A minute after the Nailers made it a 3-1 score on Carlos Fornaris’ first pro goal, Hodgson scored his second to restore a three-goal advantage.
Hodgson the A.M. specialist: Hayden Hodgson scored twice in the opening two periods, continuing his run of morning-game excellence. He scored twice in two periods on November 13th at Worcester, his first career multi-goal game. Hodgson exited during the second period of that game. With the two early goals in this game, it meant Hodgson scored four times in the first four frames of his morning games.
The native of Leamington, ON has a career high 12 goals and 20 points this season.
Ebbing and the depth: Signed by Reading in November, forward Thomas Ebbing has scored 12 goals and 26 points in 46 games this season, one of nine Royals with more than ten goals.
On his first-frame strike, the pivot set up net front and slammed it off a save from Larmi. He has scored in consecutive series games against Wheeling.
He scored his second goal with a swoop net front after turning the corner at the bottom of the right circle. He skied the puck in from the right doorstep.
Loving the coffee: Reading finished 3-0-0-0 in morning games this season, their first “perfect” season record in a.m. contests in the Kirk MacDonald era.
11-in-19: The Royals completed a stretch of 11 games in 19 days Tuesday, their busiest three-week stretch of the season, with a 7-3-0-1 mark. Over the 11 games, the Royals received a number of notable newcomers, including netminder Tom McCollum and forward Lewis Zerter-Gossage.
Reading is home for its first-ever “Green Ice Weekend” March 13-14 with games against the Norfolk Admirals.
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