Game 19 Preview: Newfoundland at Reading

Royals halfway through season-long homestand      

Reading, PA – It’s the back end of a three-game home weekend at Santander  Arena and the Reading Royals (11-4-3-0, 25 pts., 1st North) oppose the Newfoundland Growlers (11-6-2-0, 22 pts., T-2nd North) for the third straight day Sunday at 4:00 p.m. on Princess Night. The Royals have earned three of a possible four points against the Growlers this weekend (1-0-1-0 record) and are 3-1-2-0 in the season series.In a 4-3 overtime loss Saturday, the Royals forced an extra session with their fourth third-period tying goal of the season; Brayden Low’s second of the game knotted the score at three. Giorgio Estephan potted the overtime goal with 44 seconds left in free hockey, his first game-winning goal since his decisive Game 6 of the 2019 Kelly Cup Finals.The Royals have earned at least a point in seven straight games (5-0-2-0) and ride an eight-game home point streak (7-0-1-0). Reading had a four-game winning streak snapped Saturday. Kirill Ustimenko made 33 saves (OTL, 4 GA) in his sixth straight start and moved to 6-1-2-0 in his last nine decisions. Ralph Cuddemi scored his team-leading 12th goal of the season.The Royals are in the middle of a season-long, six-game homestand and are 2-0-1-0 through the first three games, outscoring foes, 9-7. Cuddemi (4 pts.) and Low (3 pts.) have scored four of the eight Royals’ goals this weekend.Today’s promotions: Princesses at the Game in Section 120 | All Kids Dressed as Princesses will join the Signing Princess for National Anthem | Free Postgame Skate presented by Body Zone | $1 Frozen Treats | Game Included Kids Club Packages presented by Applebee’s, Schuykill Valley Sports and YMCA of Reading and Berks County (Sign-ups available now)Broadcast Coverage: Listen on the Deibler Dental In-Arena Broadcast (99.3 FM) and mixlr.com/readingroyalsRoyals leadersGoals: Cuddemi (12)Assists: Cuddemi (12)Points: Cuddemi (24)PIM: Low (30)+/-: Gaudreau (12)Growlers leaders Goals: Pooley (10)Assists: Duszak (14)Points: Luchuk (20)PIM: Melindy (38)+/-: Pooley (+8)Three games left on homestandSun., 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 Quarter throughThe Royals are a quarter of the way through the 72-game ECHL regular season; their 11-4-3-0 record has matched the 2012-13 Kelly Cup Championship team for the second-best 18-game start in team history. Best first quarters 1. 2005-06: 14-3-1 (29 points)2. 2012-13: 12-5-1 (25 points)3. 2019-20: 11-4-3 (25 points)During the 2005-06 season, Reading started 4-0-0-1, then went on a seven-game winning streak from Nov. 11-26. That team started 7-0-0-0 at home and was led by notable names such as G Yutaka Fukufuji, G Cody Rudkowsky,  F Larry Courville, F Doug Christiansen, F Chris Bala and F Malcolm MacMillan.A Royals Win Would…Give the Royals points in eight straight games…Be the fourth vs. Newfoundland this season…Make Reading 3-0-0-0 on Sundays.Tough stretch The Royals are in the third game of a 11-game stretch against three teams that qualified for the 2019 Kelly Cup Playoffs, pres. by Smile Direct Club. Reading plays Newfoundland five times, Brampton four times and Toledo twice.Overall, the clubs combined for a .607 winning percentage in 2018-19, an equivalent of an 87-point season in the ECHL. Newfoundland won the 2019 Kelly Cup and defeated Toledo in six games. Brampton finished one point ahead of Reading for the fourth and final playoff spot and won four of five games in last season series vs. the Royals.Of positive note for Reading, the Royals have won four straight games against the Walleye; the last time they played in 2017-18, Reading swept a two-game season series with consecutive wins past regulation.By the time the stretch wraps up on the evening of Dec. 14, Reading has only one game to go before it begins its ECHL holiday break. Three-in-three Sunday marks the conclusion of the Royals’ first “three-in-three” of the season; an instance in which a team plays in three straight days. Reading plays six “three-in-threes” this season and the next is Dec. 13-15 in two cities (Reading and Worcester).The Royals are 8-4-0-0 in the final game of three straight since Kirk MacDonald became Head Coach. Last  season, Reading went 3-1-0-0 at home when completing a “three-in-three.”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.