BRAMPTON, ON – Tyler Brown scored the game-winning goal midway through the third to leap the Reading Royals past the Brampton Beast, 4-3, Thursday at Powerade Centre. The Royals struck with three straight goals after falling behind, 3-1, in the first. Matt Willows (1 goal, 1 assist) recorded his 20th multi-goal game of the season, the most in his professional career.
Adam Schmidt had Reading’s opening goal on a breakaway. The Royals clapped back with two in the second; Willows scored early in the frame on a penalty shot and then fed Matt Wilkins in the final minute of the second for another odd-man rush goal.
Branden Komm was perfect over the final two periods and finished with 34 saves. He is 5-1-1-0 with Reading. Marcus Hogberg lost allowing four goals on 31 shots.
Brampton defenseman Paul Cianfrini opened the scoring with a shot from the right blue line that beat Komm at 7:18 of the first period.
The Royals tied it 1:20 later. Nolan Zajac flicked a feed through neutral ice and it caught Schmidt at the attacking blue line. He drove the left circle and backhanded it through Hogberg’s five-hole.
The Beast recorded two more before the end of the first on a power-play goal from Chris Leveille (6:44 left in first) and a high slot shot from Matt Petgrave (1:39 left).
Willows struck back with momentum and yanked Reading within one after a Royals power-play opportunity failed. At 1:23 of the second, Willows was railed down by behind and referee Chris Pontes awarded a penalty shot. Willows came in with speed a sniped one between Hogberg’s leg and blocker to make it 3-2 Brampton.
Reading got another goal from the Willows line to tie it at three. In the final minute of the second, Willows had another breakaway and was contacted again. After failing to get a shot off, he calmly fed it from the right post to Wilkins at the slot. Wilkins quickly slammed it underneath the back bar and popped Hogberg’s water bottle with 46.8 seconds to go.
The Brown game-winning goal popped the water bottle again. Mark Bennett strung a feed to Brown through center ice and Brown came in all alone. From the left shot, he winged it top shelf at 6:49 of the third. Brown has six goals this campaign, the most he has had in a season since 2013-14.
Reading was 1-for-6 on the man up and killed three of four Beast chances.
The Royals have travelled approximately 3,100 miles on their eight-game road trip. The Royals are at Wheeling Friday, March 9th and Saturday, March 10th for 7:05 p.m. puck drop at Wesbanco Arena to complete the trip. Reading’s next home game is Wednesday, March 14th at 7 p.m. vs. Fort Wayne.
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