Stork scores twice in 7-4 loss

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Reading’s nine-game point streak snapped vs. Toledo, 7-4Newcomer Stork scores twice in third period 

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals had a season-best, nine game point streak broken Saturday vs. the Toledo Walleye, 7-4, Saturday at Santander Arena. Making his Royals debut, Pittsburgh native Luke Stork scored twice in the final period. Thomas Ebbing and Frank DiChiara also scored for Reading. Toledo’s Marcus Vela had a hat trick, including two power-play markers. Toledo took a two-goal three times. After the Royals cut it to 3-2 on the Ebbing tally right post, the Walleye scored four times in a 4:36 span to take a 7-2 advantage into second intermission.Reading also had a season-long, ten-game home point streak snapped; the defeat marked Reading’s first regulation home regulation loss since Oct. 19. The nine-game overall streak was the longest Reading has had in the Kirk MacDonald era. DiChiara (PPG) extended to a five-game point streak with a goal in the final five minutes of the first, cutting it to a 2-1 Walleye advantage after 20 minutes. Ralph Cuddemi earned the primary assist to earn a ten-game point streak, tying a career high.Felix Sandström made 18 saves (5 GA) in 36:42. Kirill Ustimenko denied nine shots in relief (2 GA).Billy Christopoulos earned his second professional win and first with the Walleye, blocking a career-high 40 shots.The clubs combined for 58 penalty minutes in the third, including fighting majors from Garrett Mitchell, Thomas Ebbing and Garret Cockerill.  The 2019-20 season is presented by Tower Health UPMC Health Plan. The Royals begin a four-game road trip at Newfoundland Tues., Dec. 3 at 5:30 p.m. The back-to-back concludes Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. and the Royals travel to Brampton for a weekend set Sat., Dec. 7 and Sun., Dec. 8. Reading’s next home games are Dec. 13-14 vs. Brampton. Full promotional details are at royalshockey.com/promotions.Box ScoreAppreciating November The Royals completed November with a 9-2-2-0 record, including a 7-1-1-0 mark at home. Included in that were a pair of 1-0 wins, featuring shutouts from Sandström and Ustimenko. Trevor Gorsuch also picked up the win vs. Wheeling, 6-4, Nov. 9 for the rookie’s first Royals victory.Ralph Cuddemi finished the month with 12 goals and 21 points.The Royals completed a season-long, six-game home stand with a 4-1-1-0 record.See ya, ToledoSaturday was the final game of the season series; the Royals went 1-1-0-0 on the weekend vs. the Walleye. Reading is 5-1-0-0 vs. Toledo in the last six all-time matchups. Saturday’s win marked the first for Toledo against the Royals in four seasons (2016-17).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.