READING, PA - February 26, 2025 - Sebastian Vidmar's game-winning goal at 3:08 of overtime lifted the Maine Mariners to a 4-3 victory over the Reading Royals on Wednesday night at Santander Arena. Penn State alumni Xander Lamppa and Christian Sarlo also each registered two points in the first of three games between the Mariners and Royals and the sixth of a 10-game road trip for Maine.
After a scoreless opening period, the teams traded goals in the middle frame. Reading's Lou-Felix Denis struck first, finding open ice in the slot and finishing a feed from Shane Sellar from below the goal line. Maine controlled play for the rest of the period and found the equalizer at 8:50. Ayden MacDonald moved one behind the Royals defense where the Penn State duo of Christian Sarlo and Xander Lamppa moved in alone on Vinnie Purpura, Lamppa tipping home his sixth goal of the season.
With the game tied at one headed to the third, Sarlo got a goal of his own to put Maine into the lead at 1:57. After good work by linemates Lamppa and Lynden McCallum at the blue line, Sarlo rifled a wrister home to give the Mariners their first lead. Reading had the answer at 4:57 as defenseman Gianfranco Cassaro moved off the right wall and beat Nolan Maier with a wrister to make it 2-2. The Mariners regained their one-goal lead at 9:52 when McCallum was credited with a goal that Royals defenseman Emile Chouinard shot into his own net, loose in front of Purpura. Down one and with their goaltender pulled, the Royals once again tied things up when Matt Miller punched in a rebound from a Jake Smith shot with 1:29 to go.
As the game advanced to overtime, Maine had outshot Reading 31-16 over the final 40 minutes of regulation. At the 3:08 mark of sudden death, Sebastian Vidmar broke free through the middle and flipped one over Purpura's glove to end the game. For Vidmar, it was his fifth goal in his last five games.
Nolan Maier turned aside 25 of 28 to beat his former team for the third time this season. The Mariners are now 5-0 against Reading in the season series.
The Mariners (20-28-3-0) play two more in Reading on Friday and Saturday night at 7 PM, before finishing the road trip at Wheeling on Sunday afternoon. They return to home ice on Friday, March 7th to host the Royals for "Dino Night" at 7:15 PM, followed by "First Responders Night" on Saturday, March 8th at 6 PM. 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.
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