Royals bested in home opener, 5-3

Reading, PA– Reading Royals forward Matthew Gaudreau scored in the third period to bring Reading within one, but the Maine Mariners scored a couple of insurance goals and took Reading’s home opener, 5-3, Saturday at Santander Arena.Gaudreau and Frank DiChiara each registered two points (1g). Ralph Cuddemi added his third goal of the season with 40.9 seconds to go in the third.Felix Sandström blocked 31 shots (5 GA) in defeat.  Tom McCollum picked up Maine’s first win of the season with 44 saves (3 GA).  Reading had 33 shots on goal through the first two frames, but the Royals trailed by two entering the third.The Royals are home Sun., Oct. 20 at 4:00 p.m. vs. Maine; it’s the first Kids Club Game of the season, a postgame skate presented by Body Zone, plus $1 hot dogs, $1 nachos and $1 sodas.   The 2019-20 season is pres. by Tower Health UPMC Health Plan.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.Box ScoreDiChiara, Gaudreau, Cuddemi stay on trackFrank DiChiara and Ralph Cuddemi each scored their team-leading third goals of the season, while Matthew Gaudreau’s second helped him hit four points in his first four games. DiChiara tied the game with 3:09 left in the first, sniping a left-circle shot to the far post. Gaudreau and Rob Michel assisted.Gaudreau scored at 8:40 of the third on the man up, lasering a left-dot snipe short side, with help from Olivier Labelle and DiChiara. The strike brought Reading within one, 3-2. With Reading down three in the final minute, Cuddemi stashed in at net front to make it a 5-3 game.Maine scores key goals to extend lead The Mariners scored twice in the second and twice in the third, cutting off potential Royals comebacks. Ryan Culkin gave the Mariners their second lead, 2-1, with a slap shot from the deep slot at 7:28 of the middle frame. Ty Ronning sniped another goal in for Maine short side nine minutes later. Ronning took the game’s first star with two goals and three points and scored again with 4:02 to go in the third.With Reading within one and 7:28 to go, Terrance Wallin received a feed from Ronning across the zone line and tipped it over Sandström’s shoulder at the left post. That strike provided the Mariners a 4-2 advantage.Reading went 1-for-2 on the man up and allowed two power-play goals on four Maine opportunites.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.