READING, PA – Michael Huntebrinker (1 goal) and Brayden Low (1 goal) each notched two points as the Reading Royals scored four unanswered goals to jolt by the Worcester Railers 4-1 Sunday at Santander Arena. Low scored Reading’s game-winning goal early in the second period with a 35-foot snipe from the top of the right circle. The Royals outshot the Railers 42-29. Low has 13 goals this season and scored twice this weekend. Reading is on a three-game point streak (2-0-0-1) and five points out of the fourth and final playoff spot with five games to play.
Goaltender Jamie Phillips blocked 28 of 29 shots in victory, his first-ever game against Worcester. Rookie Blake Wojtala dropped, making 38 saves on 41 shots.
The Royals received their first penalty of the game midway through the third and Reading went 1-for-1 on the penalty kill. The Railers were charged with 22 PIM, compared to Reading’s six PIM.
Tyler Barnes pushed the puck past Phillips on the Railers’ fourth shot of the game midway through the first period to put Worcester ahead 1-0, at 7:05 of the first. Barnes fed the puck to Ryan Hitchcock who dropped below the goal line before sending the puck back to Barnes in the slot.
Barnes led Worcester in points against Reading this season with five (4 goals, 1 assist).
Huntebrinker tied the game with one minute left in the first with a wrist shot from the right circle. Frank DiChiara picked up the sole assist on the goal, his 40th point of the season (15 goals). Huntebrinker has points in 29 of his 32 games played with the Royals this season including points in both games against the Railers.
Low gave Reading a 2-1 edge two minutes into the second period, netting a tally from the top right circle through traffic. Low received a right-wing pass from Matt Pohlkamp before rocketing in the 35-footer.
Adam Schmidt gave Reading some insurance midway through the third period with a one-timer through Wojtala on a 2-on-1 chance. Low lobbed the puck out to the red line for Huntebrinker and he fed it to Schmidt for the shot from the left circle.
Schmidt scored three goals this weekend including two against Newfoundland on Friday. He has 23 goals this season, trailing Josh MacDonald by two for the team lead.
Kevin Goumas cemented the win with an empty-netter on the team’s 40th shot of the game. Goumas barely gained the red line near the referee’s crease before bouncing it into Worcester’s empty net.
The Royals return to the ice on Friday when they host the Maine Mariners at Santander Arena.
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