Game 8 Preview: Reading at South Carolina

Down south and looking for a win streak

North Charleston, SC – The Reading Royals (5-2-0-0, 10 pts., 4th North) are in North Charleston, SC for the first time in two seasons looking to down the South Carolina Stingrays (5-1-0-0, 10 pts., 3rd South) Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. Reading is coming off of a 3-1 win against Worcester, the club’s first-ever victory against the Railers. Nick Luukko provided the game-winning goal early in the third period.

The Royals last played at South Carolina to start the 2015-16 season. Reading plays Wednesday in Charleston to complete the five-game road trip.

South Carolina won the Eastern Conference last season and lost to the Colorado Eagles in the Kelly Cup Finals. The Stingrays have made the playoffs in 23 of 24 ECHL seasons.

Fans can listen to today’s game on “Rumba 1340” on the iHeartRadio App and watch on BCTV (Channel 15 Comcast, Channel 19 Service Electric)! Royals pregame is live at 6:50 p.m.

The next Royals home game is Sat., Nov. 11 vs. Jacksonville at 7 p.m. for Veteran’s Appreciation Night and a Royals rally towel giveaway to the first 2,500 fans, courtesy of U.G.I. Utilities. Tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/Reading-Royals-tickets/artist/838174

Call the Royals office at 610-989-PUCK (7825) and ask for your ticket guys to learn about the best deal in sports! It’s a five-game pack to Reading’s five-biggest games for $69.95, plus we’ll buy you dinner.

Five-in-six

Reading is in the midst of playing five games in six days, the most they will play in a week this season. Yesterday (Monday) was the only off day. After returning to Reading Thursday, the Royals savor two off days before playing the Jacksonville Icemen.

Tuesday’s game is number four of five on the road trip.

Nearly a year ago for LuukkoDefenseman Nick Luukko provided the game-winning goal at Worcester Sunday, his first GWG in 366 days (11/4/16 at Rapid City). In that game, the Royals scored four of the first five goals and defeated the Rush, 6-3. Luukko was third amongst Royals defensemen with six goals and 20 points last season. All of his goals came in Nov. 2016 and, prior to Sunday, his last was against Wheeling on Nov. 30, 2016 (340 days).

The Westchester, PA native has 11 goals in 140 ECHL games and three have been game-winning strikes. The Flyers selected the Vermont graduate in the sixth round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Tough NorthDespite racking up a 5-2-0-0 record, the Royals remain two points out of the North Division lead. Manchester (10 GP) and Wheeling (8 GP) are tied atop the division with 12 points. Worcester has 11 points but has played two more games than Reading.

The Royals are second in the division with a .714 points percentage, trailing the Nailers (.750).

South Carolina faces a similar task; the Stingrays are third in the South despite a 5-1-0-0 record and trail Florida by six points for the division lead.

Balanced scoring

Twelve Royals have goals this season and 19 players have recorded points. Impressively, 16 skaters have recorded multiple points. Alex Krushelnyski leads the Royals with nine points and is tied with Chris McCarthy and Ryan Penny for a team-high four goals.

The Royals rank eighth in the league in goals per game (3.71) and sixth in the league in team defense (2.71 goals allowed per game).

Scouting South Carolina

The Stingrays and Royals both started the season 4-0-0-0 and South Carolina defeated Jacksonville, 3-1, Sunday. Nick Johnson scored twice and is tied for a team-best four goals with Andrew Cherniwchan. The Rays are similar to the Royals in scoring balance; 17 players have recorded points.

Jeff Jakaitis is 4-0-0-0 with a 2.76 goals against average and .890 save percentage. Second-year professional Vitek Vanecek (1-1-0-0, 2.01 GAA, .935 sv%) played for the Hershey Bears in the AHL last season.

The best deal in sports!Call the Royals offices and ask for your ticket guys to learn about the best deal in sports. Get tickets to Reading’s five-biggest games for $69.95, plus we’ll buy you dinner. Call 610-898-7825 for more information.

About the RoyalsThe Royals have been owned by serial entrepreneur Jack Gulati since 2014 and are in their 17th ECHL season. Proudly affiliated with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Reading plays in the Santander Arena, located in downtown Reading, PA at 700 Penn Street. The Royals won the Kelly Cup in 2013, have made the playoffs in eight straight seasons and are four-time division champions.

Reading Royals Mobile App

Head to the App Store and Google Play to download the new Reading Royals app on your smartphone! Stay up-to-date with team news, receive notifications and purchase tickets for your next experience at Santander Arena.

Broadcast Coverage

All Royals game can be heard on Rumba 1340 AM and the iHeartRadio app by searching “Rumba 1340”. The pregame show starts 15 minutes before puck drop. Watch Royals games on ECHL.tv. Reading away games locally on BCTV.