Game 54 Preview: Reading at Adirondack

Game 54 Preview: Reading at AdirondackRoyals occupy Glens Falls for Friday-Saturday road games

Glens Falls, NY – The Reading Royals (32-16-5-0, 69 pts., 2nd North) face another three-game weekend; this iteration sees three road games in three days beginning Friday at 7:00 p.m. at the Adirondack Thunder (21-23-8-5, 55 pts., 5th North). The teams play twice this weekend (Fri. – Sat.) after dueling Sun., Feb. 23 in the Empire State, a 5-2 win for the Thunder. Adirondack evened up the all-time series at 27 wins each, but the Royals hold season-series superiority at 3-2-0-0 in 2019-20.Reading and Maine faced off Wednesday at Santander Arena and the Royals earned their most-lopsided victory of the season, 8-0, which matched the most goals Reading has won by in a game ever. Max Willman ripped in five points, one short of the Royals team record. He had four points (3a) in the second period alone. Hayden Hodgson also had four points in a six-goal second.The Royals next play at home Sun., Mar. 8 at 4:00 p.m. vs. Brampton for First Responders Night, pres. by Met-Ed. Friday starts the Royals’ longest road trip of the season (5 games).Reading finishes the road weekend with a Sun., Mar. 1 showdown against Worcester at 3:05 p.m.Adirondack has not played since last Sunday’s tilt, meaning the Thunder are in the middle of three straight games against Reading. After this weekend, the season series pauses until the Royals’ final home game, Fri., Mar. 27 at 7:00 p.m. (Fan Appreciation Night, DCU Wall of Honor Night).Broadcast coverage: Watch on BCTV (Ch. 15 Comcast, Ch. 19 Service Electric) and mixlr.com/readingroyals. Watch on ECHL.tv.A Royals win would…Be the second straight overall…Move Reading to 17 games above hockey .500…Put Reading 16 points ahead of fifth-place Adirondack.Royals leadersGoals: Cuddemi (21)Assists: DiChiara (32)Points: DiChiara (50)PIM: Mitchell (106)+/-: Knodel (23)Thunder leaders Goals: Pierro-Zabotel (23)Assists: Szmatula (25)Points: Szmatula (45)PIM: Payne (54)+/-: Nazarian/Summers (14)Head-to-head season-series leaders Royals goals – Mackin (3) | Thunder goals –  Salhany/Henry (3) |Royals assists – Multiple with (3) | Thunder assists – Salhany/Henry (3)Royals points – DiChiara (5) | Thunder points – Salhany (7)Royals PIM – Mitchell (16) | Thunder PIM – Pierro-Zabotel (10)Royals +/- – Multiple with (2) | Thunder +/- – Multiple with (2)To shut out, but not to be shutoutThe Royals have shut out opponents five times this season; twice vs. Maine and once vs. Adirondack, Wheeling and Worcester. Tom McCollum became the third Reading netminder with a blanking this season Wednesday vs. Maine with 21 saves, his 14th professional shutout.By contrast, Reading has not been shut out once this season; the last time the Royals failed to score in a game was Feb. 9, 2019 vs. Brampton. Since that point, Reading has only been limited to one goal in 12 games and won two of those.Reading is the only team in the North Division that has not been shut out this season.McCollum’s Wednesday perfection was the 3rd ECHL shutout of his career.Knodel back up to plus-23Eric Knodel was a plus-three Wednesday, the ninth time this season he’s been at least a plus-two in a game (37 GP). The 29-year-old has played six professional seasons and is a plus-93 for his ECHL career (316 GP).Last season, Knodel ranked third among league blueliners with a plus-38 rating for Cincinnati. He has never been “a minus” for a season in his ECHL tenure.I got five on itMax Willman scored five points (1g) in the victory Wednesday, the 16th time in Royals history a player has generated at least five in a game.The rookie’s five-point effort mirrored the performance of the last Royals to have five in a game, Chris McCarthy (12/21/18 at Manchester). Both had one goal and four assists in their games. Additionally, Willman (2nd period) and McCarthy (1st period) each had a four-point period. Willman’s linemate Hayden Hodgson also had four points in the second period (1g).In the 2012-13 championship season, Evan Barlow, Yannick Tifu and TJ Syner each had five-point games.The team record, accomplished three times, is six in a game. Andrew Sarauer did it twice and Kevin Goumas scored six against Manchester (3g) on Mar. 12, 2016.Reading has never lost in a game where a player has had at least five points in a game.Roster moves, but no issueThe Royals have had 23 roster moves this month, 17 of which have been since Feb. 15. Despite the up-and-down movement and the five new players that have joined the squad via trades and reassignments, Reading is 4-2-0-0 since Feb. 15 and 8-2-0-0 in February.The two new faces acquired by the Phantoms (Lewis Zerter-Gossage, Tom McCollum) have contributed; McCollum shut out Maine Wednesday and Zerter-Gossage tallied to make it 8-0, his first Royals goal and second of the season.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.Upcoming Home Games: royalshockey.com/promotions Sun.,  Mar. 8 at 4:00 p.m. vs. Brampton (First Responders Game, Pres. by Met-Ed)Game pres. by Met-Ed - the Reading Fire/Police squads face the Allentown squads before the game at 12:30 p.m. - 1 ticket includes admission to both games |  $1 Hot Dogs, Sodas and Nachos | Touch a Truck Event for Kids | Faith & Family Night - Church Group Rates Available | Heaven’s Thunder music performance | Last Postgame Party of the season with players at Cheers! Restaurant at the DoubleTree Hotel.Fri., Mar. 13 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Norfolk (Mental Health Awareness Night)If a Royals player records a hat trick at the game, one fan will win $10,000 | Special Theme Jersey | Green Ice for the First Time in Royals History | Mental Health Awareness Night | College ID Night: $5 tickets with valid college ID at box office| $1 Green Beer and $1 Domestic Beers | Deibler Dental Royals and Flyers Alumni Coaster Set GiveawaySat., Mar. 14 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Norfolk (Autism Awareness, Scout and Teacher Appreciation) Sensory-friendly game, with subdued atmosphere with music and lighting, plus quiet spaces in the arena | Green Ice3 Lucky Fans will each get to pick a player they think will score a Hat Trick in a contest to win a Jeep Compass Limited | Autism Awareness jerseys | Scout & Teacher Night | BSOHA Royals Puck Giveaway | $1 Rainbow treat or Dippin’ Dots | Diaper Drive to benefit Mary’s Shelter in ReadingAbout 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.