READING, PA – The Reading Royals scored two goals separated by seven seconds early on and the Royals glided to a 6-2 victory over the Worcester Railers Thursday at Santander Arena. Six Royals scored and five had multi-point games. Matt Willows topped the squad with three points (1 goal, 2 assists). A joyous crowd of 4,093 watched Reading’s triumph.
Michael Huntebrinker started the scoring on the power play at 4:28 of the first. Jimmy DeVito potted seven seconds later, matching the fastest back-to-back goals in a Royals game this season. Chris McCarthy (1 goal, 1 assist) gave Reading a 3-0 edge six minutes later. The Royals led by two after one.
Frank Hora and Ryan Penny each had two assists.
Reading scored twice more in the second and led, 5-2, through 40 minutes. Adam Schmidt netted Reading’s second short-handed goal of the season.
John Muse made 37 saves in his first start since being returned on loan from Lehigh Valley. The Railers replaced Eamon McAdam (18 saves, 23 shots) after two periods. Mitch Gillam allowed a goal on seven shots in relief.
Huntebrinker spiked one out of the air at the right post for the first goal on the man up. Willows centered it to him through the slot. The rookie Huntebrinker grabbed it out of the air and set it on the tee for a baseball shot and line drive into the back of the net. McCarthy received the second helper.
Off the ensuing face-off, Penny cut across the line and centered one for DeVito to score at the left post seven seconds later. Frank Hora had the second assist.
Hora once again factored in with great awareness for the third goal. Willows was open behind the defense and Hora threw it to him down the ice. It ricocheted into the left corner and Willows pitched it to McCarthy at the left post. He was wide open and slammed it in.
Woody Hudson scored with 2:57 to go in the first to cut the lead to 3-1.
Schmidt’s short-handed marker pushed the Royals to a 4-1 edge at 2:07 of the frame. After a Worcester giveaway, he snuck behind the defense, waggled at the bottom of the left circle, faked the backhanded shot and stuffed it far post to the top shelf for his sixth of the season.
Worcester managed their second marker with 6:35 to go in the period on Jeff Kubiak’s third of the campaign.
Nolan Zajac snapped in Reading’s fifth goal 30 seconds later. A pass from the bottom of the left circle wafted into the slot and Zajac stepped in to power it through MacAdam. Mark Naclerio had the second assist.
At 8:03 of the third, Willows smacked the puck in off a slot pass from Schmidt and Reading completed its scoring.
The Royals were 1-for-3 on the power play. Worcester was 0-for-4 on the man up.
The Royals will wear Captain America jerseys and meet your favorite hero on the concourse on Saturday, December 30th at 7 p.m. as Reading battles the Adirondack Thunder, who will wear Ultron Jerseys.
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