1st-place Royals home Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Reading, PA – The Reading Royals have won eight of ten games (8-1-1-0) to catapult to a tie for the ECHL lead in points (22 pts., 10-4-2-0) entering a three-game home week vs. the Newfoundland Growlers Friday-Sunday at Santander Arena. Reading owns a four-point lead for first place in the North Division and is tied with South Carolina and Florida for the league and conference edge in points.Scoreless entering overtime Saturday vs. Wheeling in front of a season-high 4,866 fans, Philadelphia native Corey Mackin scored the Royals’ first extra-session goal in 22 months to squash a streak of 184 minutes without an overtime goal. It was the second shutout win of the season for the Royals and the first time in team history the team won a 1-0 game decided in overtime. Reading has won eight games by a 1-0 score all-time. Kirill Ustimenko earned his first career shutout with 32 saves. He started four games in a six-day span last week and went 3-1-1-0 (9 GA).Reading has won seven games by one goal this season, exceeding the total number of one-goal wins the squad had in all of 2018-19 (6). The Royals are 7-0-2-0 in games decided by one, tied for the most victories in the league. Reading has scored first a league-high 11 times of the squad’s 16 games.Homestand continuesThe Royals’ season-long six-game homestand continues Friday and runs through Nov. 30. Here’s what’s coming up at Santander Arena and the full promotional schedule is at royalshockey.com/promotions.Fri., 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 Quick NotesThe Royals’ five-game point streak is the longest of the season. Reading has won three straight games, one off a season high.Kirill Ustimenko has stopped 50 straight shots over five consecutive periods (100:21 scoreless streak) since allowing a goal in the first period Friday at Adirondack. Arguably his top-three professional performances have come over the last three games; a career-high 36-save effort Wednesday at Worcester, a 24-save game Friday (1 GA) and Saturday’s first-ever shutout. Corey Mackin has points in five straight games (4g, 1a) for the first time in his career. He has registered his first two game-winning goals this season. Ralph Cuddemi has a team-best ten goals and 21 points and assisted Corey Mackin’s OT goal Saturday.Dating back to Mar. 22 of last season, the Royals are 17-4-3 in their last 24 games. The Royals rattled off an eight-game point streak to end last regular season and have a four-game and a five-game run this campaign.Weekly Schedule – Promotions at Royalshockey.com/promotionsNov. 22 vs. Newfoundland, 7:00 p.m.Nov. 23 vs. Newfoundland, 7:00 p.m.Nov. 24 vs. Newfoundland, 7:00 p.m.Team Record10-4-2-0, 22 pts., 1st NorthDivision StandingsReading – 22 pointsNewfoundland – 18 points
Brampton – 18 pointsAdirondack – 16 pointsMaine – 13 pointsWorcester – 8 pointsWeekly ResultsNov. 11 at MNE: OTL, 4-3Nov. 13 at WOR: W, 6-4Nov. 15 at ADK: W, 4-1Nov. 16 vs. WHL: W, 1-0 (OT)
Regular season team leaders Goals: Ralph Cuddemi (10)Assists: Ralph Cuddemi (11)Points: Ralph Cuddemi (21)PIM: Garrett Mitchell (24)+/-: Matthew Gaudreau (+12) **recalled to AHL StocktonPractice scheduleMonday – OFF DAYTuesday – Practice at Body Zone, 10-11:30Wednesday – Practice at Body Zone, 10-11:30Thursday – Practice at Body Zone, 10-11:30Friday – Game vs. Newfoundland, 7:00 p.m.Saturday – Game vs. Newfoundland, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday – Game vs. Newfoundland, 4:00 p.m.Monday – OFF DAYSingle-game tickets and mini-plans are on sale by visiting royalshockey.com/promotions, calling 610-898-7825 and visiting Santander Arena and The Weidenhammer Box Office at 700 Penn Street, Reading, PA.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.