Game 21 Preview: Toledo at Reading

Royals complete season-long, six-game homestand

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals (13-4-3-0, 29 pts., 1st North) lead the North Division by five points and host the Toledo Walleye (9-6-1-0, 19 pts., 4th Central) for the second straight day on PAW Patrol Night Saturday at 7:00 p.m. The game is presented by Visions Federal Credit Union. Reading won the weekend opener, 4-2, behind 39 saves from Kirill Ustimenko Friday. The 20-year-old rookie improved to 8-1-3-0 on the season (2.65 GAA, .912 sv.%). The Royals are 7-0-2-0 in their last nine games.Today’s promotions: Special Paw Patrol Jerseys | Wiener Dog Race during intermission | Kid’s Report Card: Bring by your report card that has an ‘A’ on it and earn a free kids ticket for a future game | Paw Patrol Kids T-Shirt Giveaway | Small Business night | $1 Hot DogsFrank DiChiara, Brayden Low, Eric Knodel and Ralph Cuddemi tallied in the two-goal Friday win. Knodel is expected to play in his 300th ECHL game Saturday and leads the Royals with 14 assists (3g). Ralph Cuddemi tops all ECHL scorers with 17 tallies.The Royals have won five straight in the all-time series vs. Toledo and are 3-0-0-0 in the Kirk MacDonald era.Reading’s ten-game home point streak (9-0-1-0) is the longest in the ECHL this campaign.Through the first five games of a season-long, six-game homestand, Reading is 4-0-1-0.Following Saturday’s rematch, the Royals are at Newfoundland next Tues., Dec. 3 and Wed., Dec. 4 at 5:30 p.m. on BCTV and mixlr.com/ReadingRoyals. The next Royals home games are Dec. 13-14.Broadcast Coverage: Listen on the Deibler Dental In-Arena Broadcast (99.3 FM) and mixlr.com/readingroyalsRoyals leadersGoals: Cuddemi (17)Assists: Knodel (14)Points: Cuddemi (29)PIM: Low (37)+/-: Knodel (13)Walleye leaders Goals: Girduckis (10)Assists: Hensick (13)Points: Girduckis (18)PIM: Anselmini (27)+/-: Boeing (6)Milestones Ralph Cuddemi: 200th professional point (Friday) | 100th pro goal (Nov. 24)Eric Knodel: 200th professional point (last Sunday)Marly Quince: 1st  ECHL point (Friday)Kirill Ustimenko: career-high 39 saves (Friday)Recent series history  Despite only facing the Walleye thrice since Kirk MacDonald became Head Coach, the Royals and Toledo (formerly the “Storm”) have played 75 times ever in the regular season (REA: 40-25-10). Among active teams, only Wheeling and the Royals have played more.The last two postseason hat  tricks in  Royals history have come against Toledo; in 2016, the Royals bounced the Walleye at Huntington Center in Game 7 of the first round with a 3-goal effort from Kevin Goumas. Four days earlier, Brandon Alderson smacked “the fish” with a hat trick on Apr. 22.Next home gamesThe Royals have three home games in December – Dec. 13, Dec. 14 and Dec. 31. The Dec. 13 game vs. Brampton at 7:00 p.m. is Star Wars Night. The Dec. 14 game is Affiliation Night, the team’s annual Teddy Bear Toss, pres. by The Works in Wyomissing, and Flyers Mascot Gritty will be at the game.This day in Royals historyOn Nov. 30, 2001, the Royals started their longest winning streak of their inaugural season (8 games); James  Desmarais scored the shootout-winning goal and Reading defeated Atlantic City, 3-2, in front of 6,312 in downtown Reading. Five days after the Desmarais winner Nov. 30, Lorne Toews scored the first overtime goal in Royals history vs.  Peoria.It took the Royals four seasons to break that win streak for longest in squad  history; Reading started the 2004-05 season with an 0-5-0-0, but rebounded with nine straight victories and made the postseason. In the 2005 playoffs, Reading defeated Toledo in the first round and fell to Trenton in four games in the North Division Finals.A Royals Win Would…Give the Royals points in ten straight games and eleven straight at home…Give Reading six straight wins in the all-time series vs. Toledo.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.