Michel scores 1st pro goal in 2-1 loss

Brampton, ON - The Reading Royals ended a four-game Canadian road trip with a 2-1 loss to Brampton Beast on Sunday at CAA Centre. Reading (13-8-4-0, 30 pts., 3rd North) outshot Brampton, 36-23, and defenseman Rob Michel registered his first professional goal.The Beast’s only strikes came 40 seconds apart. Felix Sandström stopped the other 21 Brampton shots. Forward Lindsay Sparks scored the game’s first strike at 2:44 of the second period. Francois Beauchemin gave the Beast a 2-0 lead on Brampton’s next shot.Five minutes into the final frame, Michel pounced on a turnover and beat Brampton goaltender Joey Daccord (35 saves, 1 GA), sneaking the puck under his pads to make it 2-1.Reading had more shots on goal than the Beast in every period.Reading is home twice next weekend, Fri. Dec. 13 at 7:00 p.m. and Sat., Dec. 14 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Brampton. Friday is Star Wars Night and Saturday is Affiliation Night with the annual Teddy Bear Toss, pres. by The Works in Wyomissing. Affiliation Night features an appearance by Flyers mascot Gritty along with other local mascots.Box ScoreHome sweet homeReading returns to Santander Arena to rematch Brampton (15-8-1-0, 31 pts., 2nd North) on Friday and Saturday.The Royals are 9-2-1-0 at home and have earned 19 of 22 points since losing to Maine in the home opener on Oct. 19. Reading has scored more than three goals in each of the last five home contests.Michel forces turnover for firstStanding at the right side of neutral ice, defenseman Rob Michel activated to the right point and intercepted a blind Beast clearing attempt to create the opportunity for his first pro goal. Michel s stickhandled from the right-wing circle, drove the post and cleanly slid it underneath Daccord.The rookie defenseman has played 19 career games, including three with Lehigh Valley at the end of last regular season (1a). He has one goal and six points this season in 16 contests.  Road trip power playThe Royals had 19 power plays during the four-game road trip and scored five times. Ralph Cuddemi, Trevor Yates and Max Willman combined for the Royals power-play goals during the Canada road trip. Cuddemi and Yates struck twice on man-up opportunities while Willman registered his second power-play goal of the season against Newfoundland. Reading’s power play ranks sixth in the ECHL with a 21.5% success rate.The Royals home schedule is located at royalshockey.com/promotions.Single-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.