Jackals Score Three In Second; Fall 4-3 In Shootout

ELMIRA, NY - For the second consecutive night, the Jackals scored three goals in a single period against the Reading Royals, but the Royals climbed back, scoring two goals in the third and eventually downing the Jackals 4-3 in the shootout
After jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first period last night, the Jackals would concede the game's opening marker to a former player. Maxim Lamarche put the Royals on the board with his second goal of the season at 8:05 of the first period. Reading out-shot the Jackals 16-12 in the first 20 minutes of play.

The Jackals stormed out in the second period and flipped the script on the Royals. Thomas Nesbitt was the beneficiary of a beautiful backdoor feed from Ryan Rashid on a two-on-one rush. Rashid blocked a point shot at the Jackals' blue line and hustled down the left-wing side with the puck before passing it over to Nesbitt for his seventh goal of the season. Nesbitt's marker increased his point streak to five games and Rashid increased his to four games. Just 30 seconds later Colin Jacobs entered the Royals' zone and dropped the puck to Mitch Holmberg at the top of the right circle who whistled a wrist shot top-shelf past Connor Knapp. Holmberg's fifth goal of the season swung the momentum to the Jackals' side. Later in the second period, Mike Seidel snuck behind the defense, broke in from the blueline and buried on the breakaway to increase the Jackals lead to two. Seidel's ninth goal of the season, and second in as many nights, was assisted by Riley Wetmore and Justin Daniels. Wetmore's helper increased his assist streak to three games. He has three points in four games since joining the Jackals.

The Jackals tightened up defensively in the third period, but a bad bounce and a controversial call caused a turn in the contest. At 6:41 of the final regulation frame, Sean Wiles slipped behind the Jackals' defense, but could not corral the puck and lost it into the corner. As he went into the corner, Wiles threw the puck back towards the slot, which bounced off of Kevin Hart and into the Jackals' net. The Royals upped their press with the Jackals' lead cut down to one and a controversial goal call at 14:06 would alter the outcome. Olivier Labelle played a bouncing puck in the slot off of his skate and past Travis Fullerton, which was signaled a goal by the referees. After a short conversation between the referees, as a video replay showed a kicking motion on the scoreboard, the call stood and the game was tied 3-3.

Neither team would score the game-winner in the remainder of regulation, nor the five-minute overtime frame, so the game would go to a shootout. Pat Mullane and Sean Wiles scored for the Royals and Knapp stopped all four shooters he faced to seal the Royals' comeback win.

Fullerton made 29 saves on 32 shots faced and two saves on four shootout attempts, but was handed the shootout loss. Knapp allowed three goals on 35 shots faced, but stopped all four shooters in the skills competition and earned the win.