Game 14 Preview: Reading at Worcester

Royals’ first morning game of season  

Worcester, MA – Class is in session at 10:05 a.m. sharp Wednesday at the DCU Center for the Reading Royals’ (7-4-2-0, 16 pts., 1st North) first trip of the season to the Worcester Railers (4-6-0-0, 8 pts., 6th North). Reading plays three morning games this season and Wednesday is the first. The Royals host their first-ever Education Day Game Jan. 7 at 10:30 a.m. at Santander Arena.Monday at Maine, Reading earned at least a point for the sixth time in the last seven games (5-1-1-0) in a 4-3 overtime loss. Hayden Hodgson scored to tie the game at three in the final minute. Jacob Graves and Corey Mackin also scored. Terrance Wallin ripped in two goals for Maine and Alex Kile had the overtime winner on the power play.Worcester last played Sunday at Adirondack, falling, 6-2. Cody Payne registered his third goal of the season and Matt Schmalz scored his second. Linus Soderstrom stopped 39 shots (5 GA), the most he’s ever denied since moving to North America.The Royals and Railers match 13 times this season, the second-most meetings Reading has against a squad (14 vs. NFD) in the 2019-20 season, pres. by Tower Health UPMC Health Plan.Following Wednesday’s school-day game, Reading travels to Glens Falls, NY to face Adirondack Friday at 7:00 p.m. Reading begins a season-long six-game homestand Sat., Nov. 16 at Santander Arena vs. Wheeling for the Royals’ annual Veterans Day Game.Reading hosts home games every Saturday this November.Broadcast Coverage: Watch: BCTV (Ch. 15 Comcast, Ch. 19 Service Electric) and ECHL.tv | Listen: mixlr.com/readingroyalsRoyals leadersGoals: Cuddemi (8)Assists: Gaudreau/Cuddemi (8)Points: Cuddemi (16)PIM: Mitchell (22)

+/-: Gaudreau (12)Railers leadersGoals: 3 with 3 – Payne, Thomas, Samuels-Thomas (6)Assists: Almeida (7)Points: Almeida (9)PIM: Thomas (35)

+/-: Doherty (3) Gaudreau returns to WorcesterFormer Railers forward Matthew Gaudreau plays his first game against his former team Wednesday. Now tied for the Royals lead with eight assists, Matthew Gaudreau received two primary helpers in the overtime loss Monday at Maine. It’s his fifth multi-point game of the season and he has five points (2g) in the last two games.Gaudreau tallied 12 ECHL goals in each of his first two professional campaigns with Worcester. The Carneys Point, NJ native has two multi-goal games this season and three for his career. He skated in his 101st ECHL game Monday at Maine and has 31 goals (75 pts.) for his “Double-A” career.Frank DiChiara is the only other former Railers player on the Royals. DiChiara scored two game-winning goals against Reading in 2017-18 and then tallied four points (2g) against the Railers last campaign.Series historyThe Royals own a 9-7-3-1 record against the Railers, but only one of those wins has been by a goal and Reading is 1-3-3-1 in one-goal games vs. Worcester. Also of great contrast, the Royals went 2-0-1-0 against the Railers at Santander Arena, but were winless in four tries at the DCU Center (0-2-0-1). Reading is 7-2-2-0 at home and 2-5-1-1 away since Worcester joined the ECHL in 2017-18.The difference is shown by the number of goals potted in each venue; the Royals have never scored more than three goals in a game played at Worcester (16 GF, 1.8 goals/game), but Reading averages 3.4 goals a game at Santander Arena.Steven Swavely leads active Royals in goals (6) and points (9) all-time vs. Worcester. Former Royals forward Barry Almeida has scored eight times (16 pts.) in two seasons vs. Reading.Morning coffeesThis is Reading’s second “a.m. contest” at the Railers and Worcester won last season’s game in a shootout, 3-2. Steven Swavely scored both goals for his Reading, his first professional multi-goal game.The Royals first win in a morning game came at Manchester in Nov. 2017. The Royals have played at least one a.m. game in each of the last four seasons. 

A Royals Win Would…Move Reading to 3-3-2-0 on the road… Be Reading’s 10th all-time vs. Worcester… Be Reading’s first at Worcester since Jan. 3, 2018.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.