Wheeling, WV – The Royals moved on to Wesbanco Arena, home of the Wheeling Nailers following a tough 5-2 loss to the Walleye the night prior. The Royals were held to just 16 shots in Toledo on the 4th, and in Wheeling 17 shots on goal. The difference in this one is a closer score. Reading kept it close but couldn’t get over the hump. They would fall 3-2 to the Nailers on Saturday night.
RECAP
Reading who was outplayed the whole frame held almost as many shots as the Nailers’ goals in the period. ECHL player of the month for October, Cédric Desruisseaux netted his 4th of the season shooting the puck on his backhand on the juicy rebound at the 11:39 mark of the first. The Royals were hoping to get out of the frame trailing by one, but the Nailers had other plans. Isaac Beliveau danced right in and sniped it past the glove of Cranley for his first ECHL goal with just 51 seconds remaining in the first frame. Reading had just 3 shots in the period.
The Royals received a couple of power play opportunities in the second period but failed to convert on them both. Ryan Chyzowski netted the lone goal in the period, the Royals forward netted his 7th in as many games. The goal was a one-time cross-crease feed from Shane Sellar, coming at the 18:01 mark of the second. Late in the second, the Nailers threatened yet again as they did in the first. Will Cranley, the new addition on loan from Springfield making his ECHL debut stopped all 15 Wheeling shots in the period.
Davis Bunz would extend the Nailers’ lead, a fortunate break on a slap shot for Bunz as it was snuck by Cranley on a weird ricochet and trickled in at 10:07. Matt Brown in just his second ECHL game, notched his first professional goal. The New Jersey native deflected a slick pass from Koletraine Wilson past the glove of Tendeck at 12:42. Wouldn’t say the Royals really threatened in the period, they had six shots in the period and Tendeck had all the answers except the Brown goal.
Kalamazoo is the only other team to have fewer shots in a game in the ECHL this season. They put together just 15 shots back on October 28th.
David Tendeck turned away 15 of the 17 he faced in the Nailers home opener. Will Cranley took the loss in his ECHL debut. Cranley had an astounding effort, while the Royals’ offense struggled. The young netminder stopped 28 of the 31 shots he faced.
Reading caps off their 3-game road trip Sunday afternoon against Wheeling at Wesbanco Arena. The Royals moved to (1-4-1-1) on the season, and the Nailers moved to (3-1-0-0).
Attendance: 4,716
Wesbanco Arena | Wheeling, WV
