Weekly Release, Vol. 17, No. 22:

Trip to Manchester then four-game home stand

Quote of the WeekAssistant Coach Pat Wellar on Royals retiring Yannick Tifu’s #10 to the Diamond Credit Union Wall of Honor

“One takeaway I’ll always have from Yannick is his passion to win was what fueled us. He was extremely high talented. He cares about people and was extremely devoted to the Reading community when he was here. We knew we had a chance to do something special in 2013.”

Reading, PA – Coming off another week without a regulation loss, the Reading Royals (34-21-8-0, 76 pts., 3rd North), proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, prepare for seven straight games against North Division opponents that begins Wednesday at first-place Manchester. Reading is also home at Santander Arena Friday and Saturday vs. Worcester at 7:00 p.m.

Reading went 1-0-1-0 against Fort Wayne and Brampton last week. The Royals came from behind in each to secure a  point. Anthony Stolarz started both games for Reading and remains on the team’s roster. He has played in 107 games for Lehigh Valley and seven for the Flyers. Additionally, Steven Swavely has been returned on loan to Reading.

This week features Special Olympics Night and Autism Awareness Night on Friday and Saturday vs. Worcester at 7:00 p.m. from Santander Arena.

Here’s what you need to know:

Special Olympics Night Fri., Mar. 23 vs. WOR at 7:00 p.m.

• Royals trading card set giveaway to the first 2,500 fans (Rieck’s Printing).
• Tickets are available here
• Come to the ice after the game for a BEACH PARTY!!!  We call it the postgame shake, shiver and freeze with the Royals to raise money for the Special Olympics.

Autism Awareness Night Sat., Mar. 24 vs. WOR at 7:00 p.m.

• A one-time-only giveaway: a puck with Head Coach Kirk MacDonald and Assistant Coach Pat Wellar to  commemorate the 5th anniversary of Reading winning the Kelly Cup.
• To support the Autism Society of Berks County and Unending Promise, we’re wearing special Autism Awareness jerseys that will be auctioned off at https://one.bidpal.net/goroyals.
• Tickets are available here.

Royals Awards Banquet at Santander Arena Mar. 26Register here. Get a pregame pep talk from Royals Head Coach Kirk MacDonald, behind-the-scenes tour of the Royals locker room and buffet meal at Santander Arena Mon., Mar. 26 from 6-8 p.m. for the Royals Awards Banquet. We will hand out the best awards from the 2017-18 season.

Big 3 Storylines 3) Stolie the GoalieAnthony Stolarz showed off his high-end skill set with 31 saves on 32 shots during Saturday’s win over Brampton. The 6-foot-6, 232-lb. native of Jackson, NJ denied a few breakaway saves in the second period, allowing the Royals to push to a three-goal lead.

He joined Reading midway through last week as part of a recovery from an offseason injury.

2) Division funReading boasts a 28-18-4-0 mark against the North Division and is the only team 10 games above .500 vs. the North. No other team in the North has more than 24 division wins.  Seven of Reading’s final nine games are against the North Division.

The Royals are .500 or better against every team in the North this season.

Adirondack: 7-5-1-0 (1 game left)Brampton: 5-4-0-0 (series finished)Manchester: 3-3-0-0 (3 games left)Wheeling: 7-2-2-0 (series finished)Worcester: 6-4-1-0 (3 games left)

1) Milestone hittersThe Royals had two players hit milestones this weekend, as Chris McCarthy helped for his 100th career assist and Nolan Zajac hit 100 career points.

Still to come, Matt Willows is two points away from 200 in his career and Matt Wilkins has played in 98 career games.Team Leaders (Active players)Goals: Matt Willows (28), Michael Huntebrinker/Chris McCarthy (18)Assists: Matt Willows (38), Chris McCarthy (30), Nolan Zajac (26)Points: Matt Willows (66), Chris McCarthy (48), Nolan Zajac (41)PIMs: Ryan Penny (51), Nick Luukko (50), Matt Willows (42)+/-: Frank Hora (20), Matt Wilkins (12), Michael Huntebrinker/Brian Morgan (11)

Practice scheduleTuesday – Travel to Manchester

Wednesday –Game 7:00 p.m. at Manchester

Thursday – OFF DayFriday – Morning Skate 10:00 a.m., Game at 7:00 p.m. vs. WorcesterSaturday – Morning Skate 10:00 a.m., Game 7:00 p.m. vs. WorcesterSunday – OFF Day

Royals Radio Recon: Next Show Mon., Mar. 19Live from Jimmy G’s Railroad House from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.Meet Royals defenseman Chase Golightly and Assistant Coach Pat Wellar at Jimmy G’s Railroad House, 152 Woodrow Ave., Sinking Spring, PA. Listen on rumbareading.com and Rumba 1340 (iHeartRadio app).

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 at 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 AppHead 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 CoverageAll 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 are shown locally on BCTV.