Game 1 – Friday, October 24
Reading 4, Greensboro 1
Period 1
The Greensboro Gargoyles once again deployed Ruslan Khazheyev as the starting netminder in Game 1 against the Reading Royals. The first bit of action came less than two minutes in as Greensboro went on the power play following a tripping call on Reading. Unfortunately, the Gargoyles’ power play looked a little disjointed and even gave up an odd-man rush. Gabe Blanchard came up big on that rush, defending it perfectly.
About 10 minutes later, the Gargoyles found themselves in the box as Zach Faremouth went off for holding. Greensboro’s penalty kill has been solid so far this season, and it held up again under heavy pressure. Khazheyev came up big throughout the period, making save after save until he was finally beaten when Alec Butcher camped out just inches in front of him and deflected a shot from Kyle Haskins to give Reading the lead with 2:42 remaining in the period.
Period 2
The second period started with a big opportunity for Greensboro, as they went to the power play just 40 seconds in. Once again, however, the Gargoyles couldn’t find the back of the net with the man advantage. A few minutes later, Greensboro’s Andrius Kulbis-Marino made a huge deflection with his stick to prevent a goal and keep the game close as his goaltender was sprawled out.
With 12:51 left in the period, the Royals began to pull away as Jacob Frasca buried one from the high slot off an assist from Jake Willets. That two-goal advantage didn’t last long, though, as Greensboro’s Tyler Weiss scored the team’s first 5-on-5 goal in franchise history just three minutes later. After breaking through at even strength, Greensboro’s offense came to life and began to tilt the ice in their favor for the remainder of the period.
Reading took a 2–1 lead into the locker room and maintained a slim 25–24 edge in shots.
Period 3
The third period saw Greensboro battling to tie the game and send their fans home happy with a long-awaited first win. To do that, they needed to beat Reading’s Petruzelli at least two more times. The Gargoyles started strong, maintaining zone possession early.
Defensively, though, they struggled to clear traffic from the front of the net as Reading repeatedly established screens in front of Khazheyev. As the game went on, the Gargoyles shifted into more of a dump-and-chase style but were consistently outmuscled on the boards and lost too many battles for possession.
With just over six minutes remaining, Reading’s Victor Hadfield went crossbar and in to make it 3–1. Greensboro had their chances but couldn’t convert. A few minutes later, Brandon Saigeon sealed the game with an empty-netter with 55 seconds left. To their credit, the Gargoyles never stopped pushing for a goal as the seconds ticked away.
Overview
Reading sent the Greensboro fans home winless again with a 4–1 victory. The Gargoyles showed a much-improved offensive effort but still struggled to finish their chances. Reading once again looked like a legitimate threat this season, generating a ton of high-danger opportunities that Khazheyev repeatedly turned aside.
Greensboro will need to focus on winning board battles, shooting from the point, and clearing screens in front of the net if they want that elusive first franchise win. Still, there were positives to build on—offensive cohesion, longer stretches of sustained zone pressure, and a noticeable jump in pace. The Gargoyles will look to turn that progress into results on Saturday night.
Game 2 – Saturday, October 25
Reading 8, Greensboro 7 (OT)
Period 1
The first period was action-packed in Game 2 of the series. Jake Sibell made his first professional start and was tested ten times in the opening frame. Defensively, Greensboro continued to struggle clearing the net front.
With 15:29 left in the first, Greensboro earned its first power play of the night, controlling the puck in Reading’s zone for the full two minutes without allowing a single clear. Just eight seconds after the power play expired, Ryan Richardson brought the Coliseum to its feet, scoring his first professional goal.
Only 28 seconds later, captain Logan Nelson buried one on a breakaway after a Reading turnover in the neutral zone. The game turned physical from there, with five penalties between the teams over the rest of the period. With 1:20 left, Reading’s Carson Golder cut the deficit to one, beating Sibell to send the teams to intermission with Greensboro up 2–1.
Period 2
If fans thought the first period was entertaining, the second was an all-out roller coaster. The two teams combined for six goals and traded momentum repeatedly.
After Reading rallied to take the lead with 7:06 left in the frame, captain Logan Nelson sparked the crowd by recording the franchise’s first fight—and likely its first win in one—which shifted momentum right back to the home side. Less than two minutes later, Greensboro tied the game.
During the scuffle, Reading’s Jacob Frasca was issued a game misconduct for leaving the penalty box after being escorted off the ice seconds earlier. Reading had the last word of the period, however, as Patrick Moynahan beat Sibell with 3:26 remaining to give the Royals a 5–4 lead heading into the intermission. Despite trailing, the Gargoyles left the ice to a standing ovation for their effort.
Period 3 and OT
The third period started with a bang. Just 45 seconds in, Demetrios Koumontzis tied the game with a highlight-reel goal off a behind-the-back, between-the-legs drop pass from Anthony Rinaldi in front of a sprawled-out Yaniv Perets.
With 8:24 remaining, David Gagnon capitalized on a loose puck to give Greensboro a 6–5 lead. Reading pulled its goaltender late in regulation and tied the game with under two minutes to play. The Gargoyles appeared to have secured their first win when Nelson scored his second of the night with only 41 seconds left—but Reading answered again. Nolan Burke’s goal with 22 seconds remaining forced overtime.
Greensboro won the opening faceoff in OT and maintained possession for much of the extra frame, but Reading got the one that counted. Ben Meehan buried a shot from the slot to win the game, 8–7.
Overview and Postgame Comments
Greensboro’s offense finally broke out, scoring seven goals in an absolute roller coaster of a game. Captain Logan Nelson did everything you could ask of a leader, recording a multi-goal Gordie Howe hat trick in the effort.
“What he did tonight is what being a leader is all about,” said Head Coach Scott Burt. “I don’t think we really had his back toward the end. Obviously, we would’ve loved to pull the two points out—that would’ve made the night—but he showed why he’s our captain.”
Fans can expect a few lineup tweaks as Burt looks to find the right combinations. One line that shouldn’t change: the Richardson line, which the coach referred to as “the best line on the ice tonight.”
Series Takeaway
Reading’s sweep reinforced their reputation as a contender capable of winning in multiple ways—disciplined in Game 1 and chaotic in Game 2. Greensboro, meanwhile, showed major progress. The offense looked confident, the compete level was there, and the team showed heart in both games.
The Gargoyles are still chasing their first franchise win, but Saturday’s performance proved they’re getting close. If the effort continues, that first victory might not be far away.
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source insidetherink.com ’
