PORTLAND, Maine – Sunday afternoon, the Maine Mariners closed out a two-game series at home with a 6-3 win over the Reading Royals.
The Mariners got the scoring started in the first period with a goal from Owen Pederson on the power play, but the Royals answered with a goal from Tag Bertuzzi. Reading had their first – and only – lead of the weekend when Tyson Fawcett scored and put his team up 2-1. The first period ended with the teams tied after Maine’s Adam Mechura notched his first goal of the night on a power play.
In the second, Reading came up empty-handed on a 4-minute power play. With momentum going Maine’s way after an effective penalty kill, Alex Kile scored on a breakaway and made it 3-2. Mechura scored his second goal of the game and added to the Maine’s lead, but Reading closed out the period with a goal and cut the lead to one. Opening the third period scoring was Maine’s defenseman Fedor Gordeev. Gordeev, who had just exited the penalty box after serving a two-minute minor, received a pass from Jimmy Lambert and scored a breakaway goal.
The game closed with a 6-3 win for the Maine Mariners, but celebrations were delayed when a scrum broke out between the two teams after the final whistle. Reading’s Ryan Devine, who came out the scrum bloodied, was one of 6 players from either team to receive a penalty after the game had ended.
Check out this photo gallery from Inside The Rink’s Miasara McLaughlin for highlights from the game.
