Game 32 Preview: Maine at Reading

New Year’s Eve game starts at 4:00 p.m.

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals (17-10-4-0, 38 pts., T-2nd North) start their New Year’s Eve party early by hosting the Maine Mariners (16-11-0-1, 33 pts., 5th North) Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. One lucky fan will have the opportunity to win a 2019 Jeep Compass Limited, pres. by Savage Auto Group, if a Royals scores a hat trick.Here’s how it works:- Fans must arrive before 3:30 p.m.  in order to be entered to win a 2019 Jeep  Compass Limited. Doors open at 2:45  p.m. for season ticket  holders and 3:00 p.m. for all others.- Upon entering the arena, fans will be given a form to enter the contest to win a car.- 1 fan will be randomly drawn from there after 3:30 p.m. and go to the sales table. That fan will select the Royals skater they believe will score a hat trick.- If the selected Royals skater scores 3 goals, the fan wins the 2019 Jeep Compass Limited.The game continues a four-game-in-five-day stretch for Reading. The Royals completed the first three games with a 2-1-0-0 record. Sunday, the Royals pulled off a 3-2 win at Brampton thanks to two power-play goals from Jeremy Beaudry and 34 saves from Kirill Ustimenko. Beaudry scored back-to-back goals to put Reading ahead, 3-1. Ustimenko blocked 13 shots in the third period.Reading started the three-in-three with a 5-0 win at Maine, tied for the most-lopsided win over the Royals season. The Mariners earned their second-ever shutout, 2-0, in the team’s last game at Worcester Saturday.Today’s promotions: Register to win a 2019 Jeep Compass Limited at the game before 3:30 p.m. | Balloon Drop and Countdown | Tuxedo Royals Jersey | Live New Year’s Celebration in other Countries | $1 Champagne SodaBroadcast Coverage: Listen on the Deibler Dental In-Arena Broadcast at 99.3 FM or mixlr.com/readingroyals. Watch on ECHL.tv.A Royals win wouldMake Reading 12-2-1-0 at home…be the fourth win in the last five games…give Reading a four-game season-series point streak.

Royals leadersGoals: Cuddemi (21)Assists: DiChiara (23)Points: Cuddemi (34)PIM: Mitchell (79)+/-: Knodel (13)Mariners leaders Goals: Wallin (13)Assists: Cammarata (15)Points: Wallin (26)PIM: Racine (35)+/-: Fox (6)Post-Christmas turn up The Royals have used the holiday break to increase their level of play in five of the last six years. Last season, the squad came back from break and went 3-1-2-0, helping to keep the club in play for the fourth and final North Division playoff spot. In 2017-18, Reading went 25-11-7-0 after the holiday respite and only lost consecutive regulation games twice from Dec. 28 through the end of the season.In 2016-17, the squad went 13-3-0-1 after returning from Christmas to boost to 28-14-1-2 and second in the North Division. The run included a five-game win streak. Current assistant coach Nick Luukko was a team-best plus-17 from Dec. 26 – Feb. 4.During 2014-15, the Royals accrued a team-record 12 consecutive wins in an 18-4-0-0 stretch after the holidays. The 2013-14 team demolished opponents during a 10-3-0-0 post-Christmas jaunt which included a seven-game winning streak. During the 2012-13 Kelly Cup Championship season, Reading went 10-3-2-2 after coming back from the holiday break.Ringing in the New Year The Royals have played eight times on New Year’s Eve (4-3-0-1) and 2019 marks the fifth straight season the Royals play on Dec. 31. Last season, the Wheeling shut out Reading, 4-0, on Dec. 31. The Royals and the Thunder opposed each other on Dec. 31 from 2015-17. Reading lost 2017’s game at Adirondack. The Royals and Nailers met on New Year’s Eve 2011 and 2013, with Reading skating to victories in each. Maine played Manchester on New Year’s Eve a year ago and lost, 3-2, in the Mariners’ inaugural season.The last Royals win on Dec. 31 came in 2016; Reading took a 5-2 win at Adirondack and Robbie Czarnik netted the game-winning goal. Former Royals goalie Drew Fielding had 40 saves.Reading played its first New Year’s Eve game against Mississippi in 2004 and lost, 5-3. That was game four of an eight-game road trip. Reading reeled off wins in its next three games on Dec. 31.Decade in reviewThe Royals made the playoffs in nine of ten seasons during the 2010s, missing the playoffs in 2019. Head Coach Larry Courville took the Royals to the postseason the first seven seasons of the decade; Kirk MacDonald coached Reading in the 2017 and 2018 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Royals won the Kelly Cup for the first time in team history in 2013. South Carolina and Idaho are the only teams to make the Kelly Cup Playoffs every year of the 2010s. Reading took the division three times and won six playoff rounds. Some of the best players in team history donned Royals uniforms in the 2010s, including goaltenders Philipp Grubauer, Martin Ouellette and Riley Gill, defensemen Nick Luukko, Adam Comrie, and Denny Urban and the triumvirate of great forwards – Yannick Tifu, Ryan Cruthers and Olivier Labelle.The Royals had affiliations with four NHL teams in the 2010s; Boston, Toronto, Washington and Philadelphia. The Royals have been proudly affiliated with Philadelphia for six seasons, the second-longest affiliation in team history.Upcoming Home Games Friday, Jan. 3 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Worcester (2020 kickoff) 4 tickets for $20.20 | Bounce House for kids | Face painting stations | $1 popcornSaturday, Jan. 4 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Worcester (Craft Beer Night) Free craft beer fest with purchase of game ticket (21+) | Deibler Dental tin cup giveaway | College night: tickets $5 for college students with valid ID | Unique Pretzel giveaway to first 1,000 fans | Postgame Party at DoubleTree Cheers! RestaurantTues., Jan. 7 at 10:30 a.m. vs. Maine (Education Day) Presented by Customers Bank | First-ever Royals school day game with educational component | $1 Funnel cake sticks  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.