Royals drop at Railers, 4-1

Worcester, MA – The Reading Royals tied the game late in the second, but the Worcester Railers scored the final three goals to best Reading, 4-1, Saturday at DCU Center.Frank DiChiara scored for the third straight game with 6:20 left in the second. Worcester took the lead back, 2-1, before the end of the middle frame on a strike from Bo Brauer. Matt Schmalz scored twice for the Railers, including an insurance strike halfway through the third.Callum Booth is 7-4-0-1 this season after allowing three goals (loss, 21 saves).Evan Buitenhuis blocked 13 shots in the third and finished with 30 denials in victory,The Royals host three home games in the next week, starting Wed., Jan. 16 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Manchester with postgame player autographs, pres. by Rieck’s Printing.Box ScoreNeither team scored in the first period. Reading took nine shots and allowed six.Worcester’s Schmalz capitalized on a slot giveaway and stashed the puck in at the slot by Booth at :35 of the second period. Brauer took it away and shoved it to Schmalz.Reading responded to tie the game at one on a deke and five-hole goal from DiChiara (13:40 of 2nd). Kevin Goumas entered the zone up the right wing and passed it to the top of the left circle for DiChiara. The second-year forward waited, dragged it by a defender to the left slot and slid it in. Frank Hora generated the secondary assist.Brauer stung Reading with a right-slot goal three minutes later, batting the puck out of air and over Booth’s shoulder. Schmalz and David Quenneville assisted.Schmalz netted his second of the game with a toe-drag goal at the left post at 10:18 of the third. Nick Sorkin tallied an empty-net goal with 66 seconds left.Neither team recorded a power play and the only penalties were coincidental minors assessed against Joe Houk and Josh Holmstrom.On Fri., Jan. 18 at 7:00 p.m., the Royals battle Brampton on Pucks ‘N Paws Night with the annual wiener dog races.Sat., Jan. 19 against Wheeling (7:00 p.m.) is a Family Four Pack game, Mascot Mania and Reading’s Pediatric Cancer Awareness game with a mini-THON dance party. Get four burgers, four sodas and four tickets for $48. The first 2,500 fans will receive a PA Lottery Voucher, pres., by the PA Lottery. Plus, enter for a chance to win a 2017 Toyota Camry, courtesy of AutoRide of Reading. After the game, join Royals players at the DoubleTree across the street for a party at Cheers! Restaurant.About the RoyalsThe Royals have been owned by serial entrepreneur Jack Gulati since 2014 and are entering their 18th 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 nine straight seasons and are four-time division champions.Listen to all Royals broadcasts at Mixlr.com/ReadingRoyals or by downloading the Mixlr App from the App Store or Google Play.