Cuddemi takes ECHL points lead and Royals spring to 6-4 win

Worcester, MA – Ralph Cuddemi notched his fourth multi-goal game of the season (2g, 3 pts.) and iced it in the third period with an empty-net strike to slide the Reading Royals by the Worcester Railers, 6-4, Wednesday at the DCU Center. The first-place Royals are 8-4-2-0 (18 pts.), four points ahead of Brampton, Adirondack and Newfoundland.Kirill Ustimenko denied a career-best 36 shots, including 11 in the third. With the Royals up by one in the final minute, Ustimenko (4-1-2-0 record) stopped Kyle Thomas off his pad on a left-circle shot. Seconds later, Cuddemi scored his second goal to put it away. He leads the league with 19 points and is second in the ECHL in goals (10).Trevor Yates (GWG) added insurance in the third to pocket a 5-3 Royals advantage, slicing it at the left post by Evan Buitenhuis (loss, 25 svs., 5 GA) with 9:25 left.The Royals scored twice in the first and twice in the second to take a 4-3 lead into the final 20. Hayden Hodgson scored twice. Cuddemi (PPG) and Frank DiChiara (1g, 1a) also tallied. The Railers scored the last goal of the second; Kyle McKenzie ripped a deep-slot shot through with 11 minutes left in the second.Following a road game at Adirondack Fri., Nov. 15 at 7:00 p.m., Reading returns home to start a season-long six-game homestand vs. Wheeling on Sat., Nov. 16 at 7:00 p.m., where the Royals will honor veterans on their Vet’s Day contest with $1 draft beer specials, special military jerseys, a UGI Utilities Rally Towel giveaway, postgame player photos and a performance by the band “Heaven’s Thunder.” Tickets are available by visiting Royalshockey.com/promotions or calling 610-898-7825.Box Score 

Cuddemi’s continued excellenceRalph Cuddemi is tied for second in the league with ten goals, one off the league lead, following his two-goal output. On his first goal, he sniped a shot short-post and low from the bottom of the right dot. The goal provided Reading a 2-1 advantage at 19:04 of the first. Reading never trailed after his goal. The man-up strike snapped a streak of 24 straight scoreless power plays for Reading.Seven of his goals have been at even strength (2 PPG, 1 ENG).Cuddemi is in his fourth pro season and first with the Royals. He powered in 22 goals and 50 points last season in Wichita.DiChiara bites former squad The Royals took their first two-goal margin at 1:22 of the second. Pascal Laberge (1a) upped the puck to Corey Mackin along the right-wing side. Mackin tucked it to DiChiara and he unleashed a rip to the top shelf for his seventh of the season. DiChiara also assisted Ralph Cuddemi’s first-period marker.The third-year professional played his rookie season with the Railers and scored nine goals and 23 points.Matthew Gaudreau picked up an assist in his first game against his former squad, finding Trevor Yates halfway through the third for the game-winning goal that put Reading up, 5-3.High-scoring affairsThe Royals scored six goals for the third time this season. Reading and their opponents have combined to tally at least eight goals in seven of 14 games.

About the RoyalsThe Royals are in 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.