Anderson earns first pro shutout, Royals defeat Wheeling 3-0 Sunday

Posted on October 22, 2012

After watching number one goaltender Philipp Grubauer get recalled to Hershey before the start of the weekend, Reading rallied around rookie goaltender Brandon Anderson Sunday.  The Royals posted a 3-0 win over the Wheeling Nailers at Sovereign Center in Reading, earning the team's first win of the season in four tries. Anderson made 18 saves to earn his first pro win and shutout simultaneously. Joel Champagne, T.J. Syner, and Yannick Tifu led the Reading offensive charge by scoring single goals, one in each period Sunday against the Nailers. Tifu's goal in the first frame was scored on the power play. The Royals were 1-6 with the man advantage Sunday. Reading's penalty kill was excellent against the Nailers, not allowing a goal on Wheeling's eight power plays. The Royals are perfect so far on the kill at home this season, and rank seventh in the ECHL overall a man down at 89.5 percent. Grubauer, who made his AHL debut in Hershey's 2-1 overtime loss to Binghamton Sunday, remains on recall to Chocolatetown as of Monday morning. Braden Holtby is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. The win and shutout for Anderson lowered his goals against average on the season to 3.07, and evened his record at 1-1. The Royals are 1-3-0-0 on the young season, good for third place out of four in the ECHL's Atlantic Division. The Royals will not have to wait long to see Wheeling again. The two teams will play a two game series at WesBanco Arena in West Virginia this Friday and Saturday night. Reading will practice in Berks County all week in preparation. Reading's next home game will be this Sunday, October 28, when the Toledo Walleye make appearance number one of the season at the Sovereign Center at 5:05 p.m.