BRAMPTON, ON –Down 4-3 entering the final frame, the Reading Royals rattled off three straight goals to ripple the Brampton Beast, 6-4, Sunday at the CAA Centre.
Chris McCarthy started the party with a tying goal, sniping it from the left circle on a 100-foot dash up the ice. Fifty seconds later, Michael Huntebrinker scored his 14th of the season and third since returning from Lehigh Valley, again from the left circle. Huntebrinker aimed it short-side from the left wing circle. With 3:58 remaining and Reading ahead by one, the Royals received a strike from Alex Roos on a snipe bottom of the left dot, his 15th of the season, making it 6-4 off the helper from Josh MacDonald. Roos has goals in three straight games.
As the Royals pulled ahead Branden Komm denied 22 shots on 26 opportunities to keep Reading in front. Komm blocked six shots in the final frame.
Filip Gustavsson was yanked after allowing the go-ahead fifth goal and took the loss with 20 saves (5 goals against). In relief, Etienne Marcoux allowed the Roos goal and blocked nine shots.
Brayden Low (2 goals), Kevin Goumas (1 goal, 1 assist) and Frank DiChiara (2 assists) had multi-point games.
The teams were tied at one after the first; Goumas scored for the second straight game to provide Reading with the opening tally. Brayden Low scored twice in the second for his second multi-goal game of the season, but David Pacan struck with two and the Beast held a 4-3 advantage after 40 minutes.
Goumas scored the first goal at 4:58 of the first period, driving to the left wing and finding a rolling puck. Frank DiChiara got the assist by bullying his way net front and shoving it to Goumas. With 32 seconds remaining in the first, David Pacan slung home his 24th of the season from the left circle and smacking home a pass from Jordan Henry.
At 8:05 of the 2nd, Nathan Todd shoved the puck in at the left post and made it 2-1 Brampton on the power play. Aaron Luchuk’s shot bounced off the post at the left doorstep and Todd scored his 26th of the season. The Beast were 1-for-4 on the man up, while Reading went 0-for-3. Low answered back to tie it at two and then give the Royals a 3-2 advantage.
First, Goumas cycled it to Charlie Vasaturo deep slot. The defenseman aimed and shot it off Low’s stick and it redirected in at 9:46 of the middle frame. An unassisted snipe goal five minutes later provided Reading another edge at 3-2. The Beast stung it from the bottom of their left circle, but it hopped right to Low at the high slot. He took a couple of quick strides and rattled it in off the right bar.
In the next 1:11, the Beast scored twice, including goals 12 seconds apart. Pacan (4:23) and Luchuk (4:11) scored on consecutive shifts. Reading held a 23-20 shots advantage entering the final period.
The Royals have two home games next week, starting on Friday, March 15th at 7 p.m. for Mental Health Awareness Night against Indy. Then Saturday, March 16th is the annual St. Hat Trick’s Day game vs. Indy at 7:00 p.m.
Follow us on Twitter @prohockeynews
You must be logged in to post a comment.