Cuddemi keeps offense going in 3-1 loss at Wheeling

 Wheeling, WV– The Reading Royals scored the game’s first goal, but the Wheeling Nailers wrapped in three quick tallies in the last half of the second period to defeat the Royals in the season-series opener, 3-1, Saturday at Wesbanco Arena. Reading out shot Wheeling, 36-21, and Alex D’Orio (win, 35 saves) blocked all 16 shots faced in the third. Ralph Cuddemi scored the opening goal, sniping a short-post shot in from the left door step to provide the Royals a 1-0 advantage with 9:13 to go in the first. Cuddemi tops Reading with five goals and eight points this season.Felix Sandström took the loss with 18 saves.The Nailers ripped three goals in 2:41 to take the lead for good late in the second. At 11:52, Myles Powell shoveled in his third of the season at the right slot, assisted by Nick Saracino. Fifteen seconds later, Jan Drozg tipped in his fourth of the campaign at the top of the crease with help from Cam Brown and Renars Krastenbergs. Christopher Brown  (PPG) redirected a shot from Yushiroh Hirano for Brown’s second goal of the season two minutes later to complete the Nailers’ middle-frame run.The Royals are at Norfolk on Wed., Oct. 30 at 7:35 p.m. (BCTV Broadcast).Box ScoreFirst of nineThe Royals and Nailers play eight more times this season and thrice more in the next month. Reading and Wheeling next match on Nov. 8 at Wheeling. The Royals host the Nailers on Nov. 9 and Nov. 16 at Santander Arena.Reading is 100-64-17 all-time against the Nailers. Each squad has 45 wins in games contested in Wheeling. Two debutsMatthew Strome and Gerry Fitzgerald made their Royals debuts Saturday; each were sent to Reading from Lehigh Valley Wednesday. Strome generated four shots on goal and Fitzgerald had one. Strome was drafted by the Flyers in the 4th round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and generated a team-high 51 assists (79 pts.) for Hamilton (OHL) last season.Fitzgerald scored 12 goals and 19 points for the AHL’s Iowa Wild last campaign.On Oct. 31 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Newfoundland, grab $1 pumpkin beer and all college students will receive $5 tickets with a valid college ID at the box office. The first 1,000 kids will receive a free bag of candy and the team will host a costume parade on the concourse during intermission.It’s D.C. Comics Night on Sat., Nov. 2 vs. Norfolk at 7:00 p.m.; Batman and Joker will be at the game with character meet-and-greet packages, DC Comic-themed jerseys (Royals in Batman, Norfolk in Joker), a DC Puck Giveaway and a super-hero themed candy bag giveaway. The Royals play nine home games in November.On Sun., Nov. 3 at 4:00 p.m., Reading opposes Adirondack with $1 cotton candy tubs.Single-game tickets and mini-plans are on sale by visiting royalshockey.com/promotions, calling 610-898-7825 and visiting Santander Arena and The Weidenhammer Box Office at 700 Penn Street, Reading, PA.About the RoyalsThe Royals are entering their 19th ECHL season and are proudly affiliated with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The Royals won the Kelly Cup in 2013, have made the playoffs 14 times, and are four-time division champions. The Berks County Convention Center Authority (BCCCA), founded in 1996, owns the Royals and oversees operations at Santander Arena and the Santander Arena Performing Arts Center.Listen to all Royals broadcasts at Mixlr.com/ReadingRoyals or by downloading the Mixlr App from the App Store or Google Play. All Royals away games are broadcasted on BCTV (Ch. 15 Comcast, Ch. 19 Service Electric) and Mixlr.