Thomas Ebbing scored with 7:26 remaining to give the Reading Royals a 3-2 victory over the Maine Mariners on Saturday night and a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven ECHL playoff series.

The loss snaps a franchise-best, eight-game winning streak for the Mariners at Cross Insurance Arena.

The series now shifts back to Reading, Pennsylvania, for Game 6 at 7 p.m. Monday. Game 7, if necessary, would be Wednesday night in Reading, where the Mariners have yet to win during the regular season or playoffs.

Ebbing scored on a deflection in the slot, assisted by Brennan Saulnier and Mason Millman. It was a power-play goal, with Maine’s Keltie Jeri-Leon in the box for a hooking penalty.

Maine never led, as each team scored in the first and second periods. Twice, the Mariners had a chance to take the lead, but Marc-Olivier Duquette hit a post in the second period and Andrew Peski hit the post early in the third.

The Royals had 32 shots on goal to 27 for Maine.

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The game was tied at 1-1 after one period. Reading’s Patrick Bajkov scored at 10:25 off a backhand pass by Trevor Gooch. It was the first goal of the series for Bajkov, the Royals’ leading scorer during the regular season.

Maine answered with Cameron Askew’s power-play goal with 1:14 left in the period. Reading goalie Logan Flodell made a save on Michael Kim, but Askew knocked in the rebound. Askew scored in all three playoff games in Portland.

Mariners goalie Callum Booth, who made 32 saves in a 4-0 victory over Reading on Friday night, came up with several key stops in the second period. But he was caught out of the goal after a save on Patrick McNally, and Frank DiChiara deposited the puck into an empty net to give Reading a 2-1 lead 3:27 into the period.

Two minutes later, Alex Kile scored on wrist shot from the slot to tie the game. Zach Malatesta and Duquette assisted on the goal at 5:55.

The Royals won the first two games in Reading, 3-2 and 3-0. After the series moved to Portland on Thursday, the Mariners rallied in the third period for a 5-4 win in Game 3 on Mathew Santos’ goal with 2:26 remaining.


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