Game 16 Preview: Wheeling at Reading

League-best Royals begin homestand with Vet’s Day, $1 craft specials   

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals (9-4-2-0, 20 pts., 1st North) are tied for the most points in the ECHL and start a season-long six-game homestand against the Wheeling Nailers (5-5-1-0, 11 pts., 5th Central) by honoring those that have served our country with the annual Veteran’s Day Game Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for a special pregame concert by the band “Heaven’s Thunder.”The Royals have points in eight of their last nine games (7-1-1-0), taking them to the top of the Eastern Conference. Rapid City also has 20 points. Reading has won five straight home games, two away from tying the longest home winning streak in the Kirk MacDonald era.Today’s promotions: Military jerseys, auction on Handbid App | $1 Draft Beer Specials | Rally Towel Giveaway, pres. by UGI Utilities | Heaven’s Thunder pregame concert | Food Drive Benefitting Keystone Military Families | Postgame photos with players on the iceFriday at Adirondack, the Royals rattled off four unanswered goals, including two on the man up, to steam by the Thunder, 4-1. Max Willman scored his first professional goal less than a minute into the third. Pascal Laberge scored his third goal of the season, his second ECHL game-winner, with 1:35 to go in the second.Wheeling and Reading last played Nov. 9 at Santander Arena; the Royals scored twice in the third to win, 6-4. Since that win, the Royals have gone 2-0-1-0 (all away games).The Nailers hosted Utah Friday at Wesbanco Arena and lost their first home game, 2-1. Renars Krastenbergs scored for the Nailers. The 2019-20 season is pres. by Tower Health UPMC Health Plan. 

Broadcast Coverage: Listen on the Deibler Dental In-Arena Broadcast (99.3 FM) and mixlr.com/readingroyalsRoyals leadersGoals: Cuddemi (10)Assists: Cuddemi (10)Points: Cuddemi (20)PIM: Mitchell (24)+/-: Gaudreau (12)Nailers leaders Goals: Drozg (6)Assists: Powell (10)Points: Powell (13)PIM: Hawkins (19)+/-: Cam Brown (+4)Homestand previewThe Royals play six straight home games to conclude their November slate. Three are on Saturdays.Giveaways/Specials include a UGI Rally Towel giveaway this Saturday, a Rubik’s Cube giveaway to the first 100 fans dressed in 80’s/90’s gear on Nov. 22, a glow stick giveaway to the first 2,000 fans (pres. by ACS) on Nov. 23, a free postgame skate on Nov. 24 (pres. by Body Zone), Penny Days special in the team store on Nov. 29 and a PAW Patrol kids t-shirt giveaway on Nov. 30.   Sat., Nov. 16 vs. Wheeling at 7:00 p.m. Vet’s DayFri., Nov. 22 vs. Newfoundland at 7:00 p.m. Throwback NightSat., Nov. 23 vs. Newfoundland at 7:00 p.m. – Hockey Fights CancerSun., Nov. 24 vs. Newfoundland at 4:00 p.m. – Princess DayFri., Nov. 29 vs. Toledo at 7:00 p.m. – Game Show NightSat., Nov. 30 vs. Toledo at 7:00 p.m. – PAW Patrol Night  Season Series: REA, 1-2-0-0With the Royals tied at four entering the third in the last series battle Nov. 9, the squad used a third-period pull-away for the third time this season to steer to a 6-4 win.The Royals are 3-0-0-0 when tied after two periods, the most in the league. Ralph Cuddemi scored his second game-winning goal of the season halfway through the frame with a net-front whack past Jordan Ruby (6 GA) and Brayden Low ripped an insurance goal in the final two minutes. Trevor Gorsuch made his season debut and allowed four goals on 24 shots, enough for his first win. Ruby suffered his first regulation loss against the Royals in seven career appearances and is now 4-1-2 against Reading all-time (2.32 GAA).The Royals scored three times in the second period, their first goals against the Nailers in the middle frame through the opening three games of the series. Wheeling is outscoring Reading, 7-3, in the middle 20 minutes. In all other periods, Reading holds a 5-4 goals advantage.In the all-time series, Reading is 101-65-17 ever against Wheeling, with 56 of those wins coming at Santander Arena (56 wins, 36 losses). In games contested outside Reading, the Nailers have won 46 games and lost 45. The squads have not had a fighting major assessed in a series game since Dec. 2017 (18 straight games).   Ebbing debutThe Royals signed forward Thomas Ebbing to an ECHL deal Friday and he made his Royals debut hours later at Adirondack. The 25-year-old scored 12 goals for Greenville last season (29 pts.) and played most of his rookie season (2017-18) with the Laval Rocket (1g in 45 games).He attempted one shot on goal and had an even rating Friday.A Royals Win Would…Even the season series at two wins each…Make the Royals 2-0-0-0 at Santander Arena vs. Wheeling…Be the 102nd all-time against the Nailers…Be the Royals third straight win.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.