Game 41 Preview: Newfoundland at Reading

Royals look to tame red-hot Growlers

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals (22-13-5-0, 49 pts., 3rd North) will give away 1,000 free coozies compliments of the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance and host the first-place Newfoundland Growlers (29-10-0-0, 58 pts.) Friday at 7:00 p.m. Reading is 2-0-1-0 to begin the team’s five-game homestand and the squad hosts Newfoundland on back-to-back nights. The Growlers have won 11 straight games, the longest streak in Newfoundland history.Today’s promotions (Meet Greater Reading Night): First 1,000 fans will get a free koozie compliments of the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance | Barber Appreciation Night | Meet Greater Reading Night at the Reading Royals presented by Greater Reading Chamber Alliance | Free Souvenir Cup Refills | Postgame Party with players at Cheers! Restaurant at the DoubleTree HotelBroadcast coverage: Listen on the Deibler Dental In-Arena Broadcast at 99.3 FM and on Mixlr.com/readingroyals. Watch on ECHL.tv.Reading earned a point after allowing the first goal Monday vs. Worcester; F Corey Mackin scored for the fourth straight game and D Garret Cockerill tallied his fifth of the season, but Railers D Jack Stander won it five minutes in overtime, 3-2.Goaltender Kirill Ustimenko picked up a point in his fifth straight home game to improve to 11-1-2-0 at Santander Arena this season. His only losses at home this season have been to Worcester (2x) and Newfoundland. Wednesday, the Flyers reassigned Felix Sandström to Reading from Lehigh Valley.The Growlers travelled to Reading yesterday and return from a nine-day all-star break. The squad is 17-2-0-0 since Nov. 30, outscoring foes, 79-50. Netminder Angus Redmond is 10-0-0-0 with a 2.58 goals against average and .911 save percentage.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.A Royals win would…Be the 99th in Head Coach Kirk MacDonald’s career…Improve Reading to 4-0-1-0 vs. Newfoundland at Santander Arena…Put Reading over 50 points this season.Royals leadersGoals: Cuddemi (21)Assists: DiChiara (28)Points: DiChiara (40)PIM: Mitchell (92)+/-: Knodel (15)Growlers leadersGoals: Estephan/Power (18)Assists: Estephan (28)Points: Estephan (46)PIM: Bradley (50)+/-: Neugold (16)DiChiara is rackin’ them upFrank DiChiara leads the Royals in assists and points this season. (28a, 40pts). He is on a four-game point streak that began Jan. 12 and has over a point-per-game average since (2g, 5pts).  DiChiara is two points away from matching his career-high points total with over thirty games remaining in the regular season. In 2018-19, he set the bar at 42 points, gathered across 71 games with Reading. In the Royals 5-3 loss to the Worcester Railers on Jan. 12, DiChiara had his second two-goal performance of his three-year ECHL career. The goals came in consecutive periods and tied the game for the Royals each time. Prior to the Royals, DiChiara spent his rookie season (2017-18) with the Railers where he collected 23 points across 62 games (9g, 14a). Mackin making an impactCorey Mackin leads the active Royals in goals (15) and is riding a six-game point streak (6g, 4a). He has tallied six goals and four assists in five games after spending seven goalless. Mackin scored four of the six goals in the past three games. He cemented his second career multi-goal game with an empty-netter to put the Royals ahead of the Adirondack Thunder 4-2 on Jan. 17. For his first goal of the Jan. 17 game, Frank DiChiara no-looked a pass to Mackin who tipped it past Eamon McAdam at the left post to give Reading a 2-0 lead. He is currently tied for fifth in the ECHL for goals by a rookie. He has collected a total of 26 points for the Royals this season (15g). During his four-year collegiate career at Ferris State, he had seven multi-goal games. Cockerill on fire Garret Cockerill has tallied points in five of the last six games (2g, 3a). His most recent point was a goal early in the second period on Jan. 20 to give the Royals a 2-1 lead over the Worcester Railers. Cockerill has 20 points just over midway through the season (5g, 15a). In the entirety of the 2018-19 season he tallied a total of 25 points (19 ECHL, 6 AHL). Five of his 25 points last season were earned with Reading (1g, 4a). Upcoming Home Games: royalshockey.com/promotions Sat., Jan. 25 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Newfoundland (Pediatric Cancer Awareness) Raising Pediatric Cancer Awareness | Survivor Walk on Ice | I Fight For Wall | Postgame Autographs | Team Photo Night | $1 Cotton Candy TubFri., Feb. 7 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Atlanta (Ladies Night/Wine Tasting)Free Wine Tasting on the concourse with Deerfoot Vineyards, Black River Farms and RoseLawn Bistro | College ID Night: $5 tickets with valid college ID at box office| $1 SmoothiesSat., Feb. 8 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Wheeling (Pink in the Rink)Royals play on pink ice with Fleece Blanket Giveaway to the first 1,500 fans | Breast Cancer Awareness Jerseys$1 Pink Rose Draft Cider | Doubleheader: 1 ticket also gets you admission to the Alvernia Women’s Hockey Game at 2:00 p.m.Sun., Feb. 16 at 4:00 p.m. vs. Worcester (Kids Club Game)Last free postgame skate of the season, presented by Body Zone | Team Photo Giveaway | $1 Hot Dog, $1 Soda & $1 Nacho Concession Special Pricing | Game Included Kids Club Packages presented by Applebee’s, Schuykill Valley Sports and YMCA of Reading and Berks County (Sign Ups Available)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.