This week, the Royals played both Canadian opponents, the Trois-Rivières Lions and the Newfoundland Growlers, with Evan Barratt earning his second hat-trick for the second week in a row.
Reading Royals vs. Trois-Rivières Lions (3/3/23, 3/4/23, 3/5/23, and 3/8/23)
The Reading Royals played four games against Trois-Rivières in six days, winning two at home. Their first game to start this series started strong, with the Royals scoring big with a final score of 7-5. Just 45 seconds into the first period, Charlie Gerard scored his 25th goal of the season, assisted by Mason Millman and Royals goaltender Pat Nagle. However, the early goal was not enough as Matthew Barron scored two goals in the first, one at 5:18 seconds and the other at 8:08 seconds, to take the lead. The lead did not last long, as both teams ended the period with three goals to go into the second. Ten seconds into the second period, Evan Barratt scored his sixth goal of the season, assisted by Yvan Mongo and Charlie Gerard, retaking the lead. The Lions scored just two more goals in the second period before being outmatched by the Royals 7-5.
The following night, the Royals took the lead for the second time, with Alec Butcher scoring his 13th goal of the season at 10:58 seconds into the first period, assisted by Mike Chen and Royal goaltender Pat Nagle. It was the second game in a row. Royal’s goaltender, Pat Nagle, earned an assist on the game’s first goal. Trois-Rivières remained scoreless through the first and would not score until after Evan Barratt’s two goals in the second period, one at 14:45 seconds and the other at 17:36 seconds. The Lions, however, were quick to fire back as Brett Stapley scored at 18:59 seconds. Luckily for the Royals, it would be Trois-Rivières only goal as they scored twice more twice, with Evan Barratt scoring the night’s final goal at 17:15 seconds into the third period earning his first professional hat-trick of the season.
The weekend series in Reading ended with a good start for the Royals, scoring first at 11:22 seconds by Alec Butcher, assisted by Devon Paliani and Colin Felix. However, the Royals did not keep that lead long as Ryan Francis scored his 15th goal of the season at 13:42 seconds into the first period. The Royals would end the period with the lead as Evan Barratt scored his fifth goal of the weekend at 19:08 seconds. The Royals scored first in the second period, with Sam Hu scoring his fifth goal of the season at 3:08 seconds. Still, his goal was not enough as Trois-Rivières put up four goals in the third period before Evan Barratt scored again to try and keep the Royals into it at 18:34 seconds. The Royals would be unable to bring it back, falling to the Lions 6-4 to end the weekend.
With the weekend at the Santander Arena complete, the Royals moved up north to play Trois-Rivières on their home ice, where though they doubled their shots on the Lions 14-7, they could not light the lamp in the first period. The night’s first goal would come from Ryan Francis at 5:50 seconds into the second period, which would become the only goal scored until the third period, where the Lions went up three more goals before Shane Sellar shot down a shut-out at 18:46 seconds. Though the Royals outshot the Lions 32-27, they still fell to them 4-1.
Reading Royals vs. Newfoundland Growlers (3/10/23, 3/11/23, and 3/12/23)
The Royals started their three-game series against Newfoundland, going down a goal at 4:25 seconds into the first, scored by Brandon Kruse. Luckily for the Royals, it was the only goal stopping them from a 6-1 victory over the Growlers in their first game of the weekend series. Jacob Gaucher tied the game up at 18: 50 seconds into the first, earning him his 17th goal of the season, assisted by Will MacKinnon and Charlie Gerard. Evan Barratt would go on at just ten seconds into the second period to score yet again, making it his seventh goal of the week. The Royals would take the first game of the weekend series with a score of 6-1.
Evan Barratt would start the second game of the weekend series strong for the Royals, scoring the first goal at 15:25 seconds into the second period, assisted by Tyler Heidt and Mike Chen. Barratt would come to score the second goal of the game at 1:16 seconds into the third period, giving the Royals a two-goal lead until a third was scored by Max Newton at 2:28 seconds. The lead would not last long as the Growlers would tie up the game at the end of the third with a score of 4-4, Shane Sellar getting the Royals just one more before the Growlers fought back. It only took 1:09 seconds to see Evan Barratt earn another hat-trick for the second week in a row to make the Royals an OT victory against the Growlers with a final score of 5-4.
The Royals ended the weekend fighting hard against the Growlers as they took the first goal at 13:50 seconds into the first period, scored by Simon Kubicek. Royals Captain, Garrett McFadden, got the team back in the game at 5:42 seconds into the second period, but the tie would not last long as the second period ended with the Growlers leading 3-2. Will MacKinnon would bring the Royals back in at 5:15 seconds into the third, earning him his sixth goal of the season, assisted by Colin Felix. Brett Boeing got the team ahead at 10:06 seconds, but the lead was cut down at 14:26 seconds by Pavel Gogolev, who forced the game to go to OT, where he scored the winning goal at just 1:11 seconds in taking the victory of 5-4 against Reading.
The Royals earned 5 out of the six points in their series against the Growlers with only two more games remaining against the division rivals. Reading currently sits in second place in the North Division with only 15 games remaining for the regular season. They sit just above the Maine Mariners, who are just three points below them, as the playoff push is close. The Reading Royals return for their third three-day weekend series against the Atlanta Gladiators this weekend.
