Game 56 Preview: Reading at Worcester

Royals have won last three head-to-head games

Worcester, MA – The Reading Royals (33-16-5-1, 72 pts., 2nd North) begin the final full month of the ECHL’s regular season with the team’s third straight road game at the Worcester Railers (19-34-4-0, 42 pts., 6th North) Sunday at 3:05 p.m. Nestled second place in the North Division and five points ahead of Maine, Reading has four games over the next week and five in the coming nine days.The Royals are coming off two straight games at Adirondack in which the team took three of a possible four points (1-0-0-1). Saturday, Max Willman scored for the third straight game and Reading came back from a pair of one-goal deficits to double Adirondack, 4-2. Tom McCollum made 13 saves in the first and 24 in the game. Frank DiChiara dunked in a tying goal and two points for his team-leading 16th multi-point game of the season.Reading’s next game is at Maine Fri., Mar. 6 at 7:15 p.m. The next night, the Royals visit Worcester again at 7:05 p.m. before working down the east coast for Reading’s next home contest Sun., Mar. 8 at 4:00 p.m. vs. Brampton for First Responders Night, pres. by Met-Ed.Currently holding a 5-4-1-0 mark against the Railers, the Royals are looking for their second win in the last calendar month at the DCU Center. The last time the squads played in Worcester Feb. 1, Trevor Gooch scored twice and Reading tallied five goals in the second period for a 6-2 win. Reading followed that up with a shutout by Kirill Ustimenko, 3-0, Feb. 16 at Santander Arena.Dating back to Jan. 19, Reading is 4-0-1-0 against the Railers with a 21-7 goal differential.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 fourth straight head-to-head win against the Railers…Improve Reading to 6-4-1-0 in the season series. Provide Reading a 7-4-0-0 record on Sundays.Royals leadersGoals: Cuddemi (21)Assists: DiChiara (35)Points: DiChiara (55)PIM: Mitchell (106)+/-: Knodel (25)Railers leaders Goals: Pierog (22)Assists: Almeida (21)Points: Almeida (37)PIM: Turcotte (153)+/-: Hitchcock (1)Head-to-head season-series leaders Royals goals – Gooch (6) | Railers goals –  Pierog (8) |Royals assists – Mackin (8) | Railers assists – Almeida (7)Royals points – Mackin (11) | Railers points – Pierog (11)Royals PIM – DiChiara (21) | Railers PIM – Olsson (26)Royals +/- – Knodel (8) | Railers +/- – Pierog (6)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.March previewWith the final full month of the regular season upon the Royals, the squad prepares for 14 of its final 17 games. Reading visits Wheeling (2x), Newfoundland (2x), Worcester (2x), Norfolk and Maine for road games.Reading plays six home games against Norfolk (2x), Brampton, Maine, Worcester and Adirondack. If the Royals win four of their final six at home, the squad will match the 2012-13 championship team for the most home wins in a Reading regular season.Of the team’s March opponents, five of the 14 games are against teams currently occupying North Division playoff spots.The Royals complete the regular season Apr. 2-4 at Norfolk.February finals Reading enters a new month off one of its best Februaries in team history, a 9-2-0-1 mark that was tied for the winningest month in team history. In Feb. 2004, Reading went 9-3-1 in February and the team matched the nine-win marked seven years later with a 9-4-0 record in 2011.This February, Reading rattled off seven straight wins and eight straight overall dating back to the Jan. 31 game in Worcester.Reading’s second periods were especially strong in February; in four games, the Royals had at least three goals in the middle frame. That included a five-goal second Feb. 1 at Worcester and six-goal frame Feb. 26 vs. Maine.The six-goal second frame vs. Maine tied a franchise record and marked the third time in team history Reading had six in a period.March record

The Royals went 8-5-1 in March last season to improve to 122-99-28 ever in the final full month of the ECHL regular season. Reading has 14 games this March, with six at Santander Arena. The record for most March wins is 10 (done 3x, most recently 2013-14).All-Time vs. Railers The Royals are currently riding their longest winning streak ever (3) against the Railers since the teams began playing each other in 2017-18. Reading has points in five straight against Worcester since starting the season series 1-4-0-0. The recent 4-1-1-0 burst has improved Reading to 14-11-4-1 against Worcester all-time.At the DCU Center, the Royals have two straight wins in the series and a 5-7-1-1 mark ever. The last two contests, however, (5-1 and 6-2 wins) were the most-lopsided victories Reading has ever had at Worcester.Reading’s penalty kill against the Railers this campaign (28-for-32) is the usual based on the all-time series; the Royals have allowed nine man-up goals ever in 30 meetings, boasting a career 89.2% penalty kill vs. Worcester (74-for-83). The best penalty-killing season against Worcester came in 2017-18 (30-for-33).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.