Royals clinch berth in 2020 Kelly Cup Playoffs with 5-2 win

Final moments as Royals clinch playoff berth 

Worcester, MA – Down by one entering the second period, the Reading Royals scored four times in the middle frame to come from behind and clinch a berth in the 2020 Kelly Cup Playoffs with a 5-2 win at the Worcester Railers Saturday at DCU Center. 2020 Kelly Cup Playoff tickets start at just $13 ($10 for kids), call ‪610-898-7825 for more details.Reading has qualified for the playoffs in ten of the last 11 seasons and 14 times in the club’s 19-season history. The Royals have 78 points, five back of first-place Newfoundland.Felix Sandström denied 22 shots to improve to 12-11-0-1 on the season. Evan Buitenhuis was tagged with the loss (23 saves).Railers forward Shane Walsh opened the game with an unassisted goal on a turnover forced at the right doorstep at 10:04. Reading trailed by one after one.From there, Reading responded earlier and often in the second, scoring thrice in a five-minute span. Thomas Ebbing tied the game with a top-shelf laser beam at the slot at 2:48, assisted by David Drake. Seventy-five seconds later, Frank DiChiara scored his team-leading 22nd of the campaign on a power-play wrister from the right circle, set up by Eric Knodel and Corey Mackin. Brayden Low (7:53) and Trevor Gooch (16:39) rounded out the scoring for Reading.Rob Michel potted an empty-net goal with 2:28 to go eight minutes after Lincoln Griffin cut it to a 4-2 game.Reading is home Sun., Mar. 8 vs. Brampton at 4:00 p.m. for First Responders Night, pres. by Met-Ed. Doors open at noon for the 15th annual Battle of the Badges Game; the Reading Fire and Police Departments face off against the Allentown squads at 12:30 p.m. as the undercard to the 4:00 p.m. game againstBox ScoreLow on the power playBrayden Low scored his 18th goal of the season eight minutes into the middle frame, providing the Royals a 3-1 lead on a tucked-in backhander. It was his first man-up goal of the season and the second power-play marker of his Reading tenure. He has scored 33 goals with the Royals in two seasons.The strike was one of four in the middle frame; over the last two months, Reading has scored 47 goals and allowed nine in the second period. In five of those games, Reading has at least four goals in the second. Three of those have come against Worcester.Six-game point streakThe Royals are 5-0-0-1 in their last six games and finished a season-long, five-game road trip with a 4-0-0-1 mark.Reading has outscored foes, 28-12, in the six games.Season-series turnaroundReading started the season series with Worcester at a 1-4-0-0 record, but the Royals have gone 6-0-1-0 in their last seven games to improve to 7-4-1-0 in the series.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.