Game 5 Preview: Maine at Reading

Postgame Skate, Magnet Schedule Giveaway, Kids Club Game, $1 Hot Dogs, $1 Nachos and $1 Sodas

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals (1-2-1-0, 3 pts., T-5th North) rematch the Maine Mariners (1-1-0-1, 3 pts., T-5th  North) at Santander Arena Sunday at 4:00 p.m., featuring $1 hot dogs, $1 sodas and $1 nachos plus a postgame skate presented by Body Zone Sports & Wellness Complex. Reading will also give away Deibler Dental Magnet Schedules. It’s the first Royals afternoon game of the season and the team seeks their first win since Oct. 11.   The Royals drew 4,584 fans in the team’s home opener Saturday, but the Mariners struck twice in the third to up-end Reading, 5-3. Matthew Gaudreau, Ralph Cuddemi and Frank DiChiara scored. The game followed a mammoth pregame block party featuring a performance from the band “Cracker” that drew thousands of fans to the special Downtown Alive concert.Maine is playing for the third day in a row and is 1-0-0-1 through the first two games of the road trip. The Royals will head to the road for a pair of games starting next Sat., Oct. 26 at 7:00 p.m. at Wheeling. Following a game at 7:30 p.m. in Norfolk on Oct. 30, Reading is back at home for Halloween on Oct. 31 vs. Newfoundland at 7:00 p.m.

Today’s Promotions

• Game Included Kids Club Packages presented by Applebee’s, Schuykill Valley Sports and YMCA of Reading and Berks County (Sign Ups Available Now)
• 2019-2020 Season Magnet Giveaway Presented by Deibler Dental
• Postgame Skate on Ice at Santander Arena
• $1 Hot Dog, $1 Soda & $1 Nacho Concession Special Pricing

Broadcast Coverage: Listen on Deibler Dental In-Arena Broadcast (99.3 FM) | Listen at Mixlr.com/ReadingRoyals Labelle closing in on more Royals recordsOlivier Labelle’s assist on Matthew Gaudreau’s power-play tally in the third period of Saturday’s 5-3 loss to Maine was his first point of the season. It was also his first as a member of the Royals since April 8, 2017 in a 4-2 victory over Norfolk. He is ten helpers away from overtaking Yaninck Tifu for second on the Reading Royals’ all-time assists list.

Labelle enters Sunday’s weekend finale against Maine with 129 career Royals assists. Tifu and Labelle both trail Ryan Cruthers’ 187 helpers.

Labelle’s 257 points stands second behind Cruthers’ 273. Labelle has scored at least 32 points per ECHL season throughout his career, and if he keeps that up, he’ll become the Royals’ all-time leader in points. He already is the all-time goals, games played and penalty minutes leader in squad history.

Last time outRoyals forward Frank DiChiara tied the game, 1-1, in the final three minutes of the first, but Maine ripped two strikes in the second and a couple more in the third to best Reading, 5-3. Matthew Gaudreau pulled the Royals within a goal with 11:20 to go, but Maine’s Terrance Wallin extended the Mariners lead to 4-2 four minutes later.Felix Sandström allowed five goals on 36 shots, while Mariners goalie Tom McCollum denied 44 shots in the win (3 GA).Ustimenko, Sandstrom Splitting the NetKirill Ustimenko stopped his first 20 shots of the season at Newfoundland and ended up with 32 saves on 35 shots in the overtime loss on Oct. 12. He came in relief for Felix Sandström in a 6-3 loss Tuesday and tacked on another eight saves to his North American seasonal debut.

Sandström has started all but one game for the Royals in the young season. While both goaltenders look to find their footing on North American ice, the Swedish-born netminder backstopped Reading to its lone win thus far in a 6-5 victory over the defending Kelly Cup Champion Growlers.

Former Western Michigan standout Trevor Gorsuch is the third “tendie” on the Royals’ roster and has yet to play a game.Home winning-streak snappedAlthough the Royals missed the playoffs by one point last season, the late-season charge ended with a six-game home point streak. That streak was snapped Saturday vs. Maine. Reading also had a season-long seven-game home point streak last season (Dec. 14-Jan. 9).A Royals win would…Snap a three-game slide (0-2-1-0) and give Reading their first home victory of 2019-20.

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.