WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers had a solid run, as they rattled off six consecutive victories. Unfortunately, on Wednesday night, the Reading Royals provided a small bump in the road to snap the streak. Cam Hausinger's older brother Kenny was the star of the night for the Royals, as he netted his first career hat trick to lead his squad to a 4-1 win at WesBanco Arena.
Reading scored a pair of goals in the first period, following a successful penalty kill. The first marker came at the 12:05 mark. Jacob Pritchard drove his way to the net and pushed a shot on goal. His attempt was stopped, but Kenny Hausinger swooped in to toss home the rebound. 2:21 later, the Royals struck again. Patrick McNally played the puck along the blueline to Dominic Cormier, who threw in a wrist shot from straight away.
The visitors extended their advantage at the three-minute mark of the middle stanza. Kenny Hausinger curled around the back of the net and came out to the bottom of the left circle, where he rang a wrist shot in off the right post.
Wheeling got on the scoreboard at the 7:55 mark of the third period, when Patrick Watling finished off a rush with Bobby Hampton by smacking in a one-timer on the right side of the low slot. Unfortunately, that was the lone celebration for the Nailers, as Kenny Hausinger completed his hat trick and the 4-1 Reading win with an empty netter.
Logan Flodell earned the victory in his Royals debut, as he turned aside 27 of the 28 shots he faced. Stefanos Lekkas got saddled with the defeat for Wheeling, as he made 33 saves on 36 shots.
The Nailers will play two more games on this homestand, as they will face the Kalamazoo Wings on Friday and Saturday at 7:10. Friday's game is a Frosty Friday, while Saturday is Mardi Gras Night, which also features a full team post game autograph session. The next big promotional night is Throwback Night on March 25th, starring Paul Bissonnette and Louis Dumont. Season memberships, single game tickets, and partial packages are available, and fans can get more information by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.