KALMIKOV LEADS MARINERS TO SWEEP OF READING

PORTLAND, ME – November 3, 2024 – Brooklyn Kalmikov scored a pair of goals and added an assist to help the Maine Mariners defeat the Reading Royals 5-3 on Sunday afternoon at the Cross Insurance Arena. It was Maine’s second consecutive win over the Royals to close out the homestand.

It took until past the halfway mark of the game for the opening goal to be scored. At the 10:48 mark of the second period, Maine’s Patrick Guay grabbed a deflected puck at the bottom of the left circle, drove the net, and backhanded home his third goal of the season for a 1-0 Mariners lead. Reading answered back right off a faceoff win at 14:12, when Lou-Felix Denis deflected Gianfranco Cassaro’s point shot past Ryan Bischel to tie it up. Under a minute later, Maine had the answer on Christian Berger’s first professional goal. Bennett Stockdale took a drop pass from Evan Vierling and backhanded one off the pad of Vinnie Purpura, that Berger scooped up on the rebound.

Leading 2-1 to begin the third period, the Mariners struck early for an insurance tally. Brooklyn Kalmikov finished a 2-on-1 feed from Jacob Hudson just 1:12 into the frame to extend the lead to two. It remained 3-1 into the final three minutes of the game when the Royals pulled Purpura and scored a 6-on-4 power play goal, Tyler Gratton finding a loose puck in the goal crease at 17:32. Kalmikov nailed an empty netter from center ice just 32 seconds later. The Royals wouldn’t go quietly, however and cashed in with their goalie pulled again on Powell Connor’s shot from the right circle with 43 seconds left. Off the ensuring faceoff, Hudson came up with a steal in the center zone and slid one past a retreating Purpura, who was heading to the bench once more. Kalmikov, Hudson, and Carter Johnson all finished with three points each.

Ryan Bischel earned the victory with 25 saves in 28 shots, while Purpura stopped 27/31 in defeat. Reading has lost four games in a row after starting the season 4-1-0.

The Mariners (3-4-0) will hit the road for the first time this season with a pair of games at Worcester on November 8^th and 9^th. They’re back home to host Reading again on Wednesday, November 13^th at 7 PM for “Heart Night.” Fans who donate blood at the American Red Cross Blood Drive on Wednesday, November 6^th can receive free tickets to the game. The blood drive will take place at the Cross Insurance Arena from 12-6 PM in the CN Brown Landing. Single game tickets are available at MarinersOfMaine.com or at the Hammond Lumber Company Box Office inside the Cross Insurance Arena. For more information on ticket packages and group discounts, fans can call 833-GO-MAINE, go to MarinersOfMaine.com, or visit the Mariners front office at 94 Free Street in Portland.