Royals dominate Lions for a convincing win in Reading

Saturday night saw the Lions playing the Royals in Reading, Pennsylvania to complete a two-games-in-two-nights series. The Royals were out to avenge Friday night’s 1-0 loss to Trois-Rivières, while the Lions were hoping to sweep the two-game series.

Joe Vrbetic got the nod to start in goal for the Lions, while Nolan Maier was between the pipes for the Royals.

It was Teddy Bear Toss night at Santander Arena and the Royals’ Shane Sellar didn't keep fans waiting long to toss their stuffed animals onto the ice when he scored his fourth goal of the season at the 3:06 mark of the first period. The Lions’ Vrbetic ended up stopping 10 of the 11 shots he faced in the period while the Royals’ Maier was perfect on the six shots directed his way.

Reading continued to dominate in the second period, and they doubled their lead when Mason McCarty scored his first goal as a Royal. Tempers started to flare as the game progressed, and the Lions’ Noah Laaouan and Jake Bricknell were each assessed five-minute majors for fighting. Reading’s Brayden Guy made the score 3-0 when he also notched his first goal as a Royal. Guy’s marker signalled the end of the night for Vrbetic, and after 40 minutes of play, the Royals had taken a commanding 5-0 lead.

The Lions displayed more intensity in the third period, and Maxim Trépanier scored his fourth goal of the season, which turned out to be the only goal scored in the period. The Lions ended up losing 5-1 to the Royals, finishing the two-game trip to Pennsylvania with two points out of a possible four.